President Muhammadau Buhari has sent a warning to those he called ‘successive cabals of corrupt leaders and their cronies’ to stay clear of his government as the business as usual has gone forever.
Said the President: “there is indeed much work to be done, but we must do it well and carefully to ensure that the great opportunity which we now have is not lost to the “business as usual” group who selfishly or shortsightedly prefer a status quo that panders to their personal or group interests.”
President Buhari, in his Eid-el-Fitri (Sallah) message to Nigerians today, said that he remained wholly committed to giving the required leadership towards undoing the wrongs of the past and to ensure that Nigeria truly begins to unlock its great potential and that the benefits of its immense national resources are shared and enjoyed by all, “not just by successive cabals of corrupt leaders and their cronies.
“I was very aware of your high expectations when I assumed office and I reassure you, my fellow citizens, that since my inauguration on the 29th of May this year, I have been working with utmost dedication to meticulously plan and tackle the many national challenges which we identified and promised to resolve. To succeed however, I need your continued support, understanding and patience.
“I fully understand and share the thirst of my long-suffering compatriots for corruption-free government institutions that work efficiently to deliver visible development for the benefit of all citizens. I also share the feelings of those who think that we should be moving faster. But I urge them and all Nigerians to trust that my commitment to real and positive change in our nation is as firm as ever.”
President Buhari noted that the adverse effects of years of rot, corruption, inept and bad governance on our nation are immense, but that they are not insurmountable if we all resolve now to place the well-being of our nation above all other considerations and work whole-heartedly with the present administration to achieve greater peace and security across the nation, and reposition our country for faster economic development and progress.
The President rejoiced with Nigerians, especially those who have successfully completed the Ramadan fast in keeping with the injunction of our Creator.
He said that though we have come to the end of this year’s month of Ramadan, but that the acceptance by Nigerians of its key lessons, of self-denial and sacrifice will serve our dear country well as we strive to overcome our present challenges, undo the damage done by years of bad governance and accelerate the pace of national development.
According to President Buhari, some commentators and observers have reviewed our dire circumstances and the many missed opportunities of the past and have concluded that this time is Nigeria’s last chance to get its act together and finally begin to fulfill its God-given potential for greatness. [myad]
