President Muhammadu Buhari declared on Thursday that his administration has made significant progress in addressing Nigeria’s insecurity.
He also argued that despite the government’s diminishing resources as a result of the global price of oil, his administration accomplished a great deal.
As a result, the President urged historians to be objective and avoid personal bias against his administration.
Buhari made the submission on Thursday during a visit to his country home in Daura, Katsina State, where he was greeted by several All Progressives Congress (APC) governors who paid him a Sallah homage.
Garba Shehu, the senior special assistant to the President on media and publicity, disclosed details of the APC leaders’ discussions and quoted Buhari as saying “the future of the country will be shaped by the diligence and honesty of those who document history and provide analysis of situations, understanding the value of what was obtained in the past and afterwards.”
“It would be unfortunate to mislead the electorate with lies and personal bias, reiterating the importance of putting the country’s larger interests ahead of personal preferences.
“For the time being, and for those who have one more term in office under the constitution’s provisions, elections are critical for the parties. Intellectuals and historians should be fair to us so that those seeking leadership positions do not take advantage of the public’s political ignorance or lack of knowledge.”
The President stated that despite limited resources, his administration has done its best for the people and will continue to do so. He urged governors to keep their promises to the people as well.
“We have done our best and thank God for what we have accomplished with the resources at our disposal; otherwise, we would have been in serious trouble,” he noted.
Additionally, he stated that “the security situation had improved in comparison to the instability in the North East prior to 2015, and the South South, where some areas of the north were directly controlled by terrorists, while the south faced significant challenges.”
“What followed in the North West is incredible, as people who lived together, spoke the same language, and shared a common faith began murdering one another and rustling cows.
“I needed to replace the security chiefs, and we needed to get back to the fundamentals of security. If you examine the situation in terms of time and resources, you will see what we have accomplished,” the President stated.
He stated that oil prices fell from more than $100 to less than $38 during his administration, and production decreased from 2.1 million to about 500,000 barrels per day, but much was accomplished.
Atiku Abubakar Bagudu, the Governor of Kebbi State and Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, stated in his remarks that the President’s visionary and strong leadership has continued to yield results as more politicians join the APC on a daily basis.
He also lauded the current administration’s agricultural revolution and other infrastructure projects across the country.
“As I drove from Kebbi State to Daura, stopping to pick up the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, I realized that in the eight hours it took to get here, we saw less than 10 kilometers of uncultivated land.
“It demonstrates that efforts to enhance security are also paying off. Farmers are seizing the opportunity and planting. You have commissioned projects in Lagos, Kano, Katsina, and Borno States in less than six weeks, Your Excellency, and have also launched some projects virtually.
“We appreciate the federal government’s projects in every state and its support for governors, even those who are not progressive,” he said.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have you as our leader. Your accomplishments and ideals are ingrained in all of us,” he continued.
Prof Ben Ayade of Cross River, David Umahi of Ebonyi, Bello Matawalle of Zamfara, John Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti, who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Governors Forum, Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina, Solomon Lalong of Plateau, and Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano were among the 12 governors who attended the meeting with the President in Daura.
Others are Lagos’ Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Niger’s Abubakar Sani Bello, Osun’s Adegboyega Oyetola, Kebbi State’s Abubakar Bagudu, and Nasarawa State’s Abdullahi Sule.
