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‘What would Atiku do differently?’ — Buhari asks Nigerians in state broadcast
President Muhammadu Buhari has asked Nigerians to make a wise choice during the February 16 elections, saying the All Progressives Congress (APC) is clearly the best choice.
In a nationwide address aired on state television, Buhari listed what his administration had achieved and said Nigerians should ask themselves if the candidates of the opposition and any other parties would do anything differently from what has been done by the ruling APC.
He assured Nigerians that the elections would take place in a secure and peaceful atmosphere, saying any threat of intimidation from “any source does not represent the position of the federal government”.
HERE IS BUHARI’S FULL ADDRESS
Fellow Citizens,
On Saturday, February 16, 2019, you will, once again, be called upon to choose the leaders who will pilot the affairs of our great nation for the next four years. This is a constitutional right which should be freely exercised by all eligible voters.
2. I wish therefore to start by assuring all Nigerians that this Government will do its very best to ensure that the 2019 elections take place in a secure and peaceful atmosphere.
3. It was indeed such free, fair and peaceful elections that made it possible for our Government to emerge, despite the fact that we were contesting against a long-standing incumbent party.
4. And as your president and a fellow Nigerian, I ask that you come out and queue to fulfill this important obligation you have to yourselves and your fellow citizens – and to our common future.
5. Let me at this point, reaffirm the commitment of the Federal Government to the conduct of free and fair elections in a safe and peaceful atmosphere. Just yesterday, I signed the Peace Accord alongside 72 other presidential candidates.
6. I want to assure all Nigerians, the diplomatic community and all foreign election observers of their safety and full protection. Any comments or threats of intimidation from any source do not represent the position of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
7. As Government has a critical role in maintaining the democratic traditions, so do citizens. I therefore urge you all, as good Nigerians, to take a personal interest in promoting and maintaining peace in your respective neighbourhoods during the elections. This is certainly not a time to allow personal, religious, sectional or party interests to drive us to desperation.
8. At this point, I want to make a special appeal to our youth: Do not allow yourselves to be used to cause violence and destruction. The people who want to incite you are those preparing the ground for discrediting the elections. Having lost the argument, they fear losing the elections.
9. When you elected me in 2015, it was essentially in consequence of my promise of CHANGE. We committed ourselves to improving security across the country, putting the economy on a sound footing and tackling rampant corruption, which had in many ways become a serious drawback to national development.
10. Our Government spent the last 3 years and 9 months striving faithfully to keep this promise, in spite of very serious revenue shortages caused mainly by a sharp drop in international oil prices and an unexpected rise in the vandalisation of oil installations, which, mercifully have now been curtailed.
11. We nevertheless pressed on in our quest to diversify the economy, create jobs, reduce commodity prices and generally improve the standard of living among our people.
12. The damage that insecurity and corruption have done, over time, to our collective livelihood is incalculable. However, it is pleasing to note that our frontal attack on these twin evils is gaining momentum and bringing about visible progress.
13. The recovery of the economy from recession is complete and Nigeria is back on the path of steady growth.
14. The key to creating more jobs lies in accelerating this momentum of economic growth. Happily, we have succeeded in making the fundamental changes necessary for this acceleration, and we are now beginning to see the efforts bearing fruit.
15. Our ease of doing business policies and programmes are already impacting medium, small and micro industries, as well as Manufacturing, Mining and Agriculture, among other key sectors.
16. Our commitment to critical infrastructure – that is Roads, Rails, Bridges, Airports and Seaports – will create more jobs, improving the efficiency and competitiveness of our industries.
17. Many of these projects are at different stages of completion, and those who use them regularly will attest to the fact that even while construction is ongoing, they are beginning to see reduced travel times. This will ultimately translate to reduced costs and greater convenience, making transportation, and business in particular, much easier.
19. The economic recovery that we promised is well underway, as demonstrated by the recently released statistics. In 2018, the economy grew by 1.93%, with the Fourth Quarter growth being 2.38%, up from 1.81% in the Third Quarter.
20. Remarkably, the strong economic performance was driven by the Non-Oil sector, which grew at 2% as at full year. Indeed, Non-Oil growth rose to 2.7% in the Fourth Quarter of 2018, up from 2.32% in the Third Quarter. These results further underscore our commitment to diversifying the economy away from the past dependence on Oil.
21. Other indicators confirm the economy’s steady recovery. Our monthly food import bill has declined from $664 million in January 2015 to $160 million as at October 2018. Inflation fell from 18.72% in January 2017 to 11.44% in December 2018. Our External Reserves have risen from $23 billion in October 2016 to $43.12 billion as at 7th February 2019.
22. Now that the recession is well behind us, our next task is to redouble our efforts, accelerate the growth and use it to create even more jobs for our people.
23. The Executive Orders, No. 5, and No. 7 issued by me, and the recently approved National Infrastructure Maintenance Policy demonstrate our commitment to accelerated job creation and infrastructure development.
24. We believe that Governments cannot simply proclaim jobs into existence. Job creation will only expand as a result of economic policies that enable the private sector to flourish, and this is the approach our Administration has taken.
25. Executive Order No 5, which Promotes Nigerian Content in Contracts, as well as Science, Engineering and Technology, will preserve and prioritize job creation for our citizens.
26. Executive Order 7, on the Road Infrastructure Development and Refurbishment Investment Tax Credit Scheme, seeks to mobilize private capital and capacity for infrastructure development.
27. It responds to the demands of manufacturing and industrial complexes which wish to construct access roads without waiting for government, so long as they are allowed to recover the cost from taxes they would have paid to government.
28. We expect that this approach will boost industrial expansion and rural development, consequently creating more jobs for our people.
29. Similarly, our recently issued Maintenance Policy targets artisans, carpenters, welders, tailors, painters, bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, landscapers and many more Ordinary Nigerians at the base of our economic pyramid who will get regular and large-scale opportunities to improve themselves.
30. It is an economic solution that also brings the relevant artisans and professionals into long term sustainable employment to maintain our Schools, Court Rooms, Hospitals, Police Stations, Federal Secretariats and other Public Buildings.
31. Human Capital Development has also been a key priority for this Administration, which has increased investments in health and education. Innovative measures have been introduced to complement the traditional budgetary allocations to the relevant Ministries.
32. For instance, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority has invested US$21 million in three healthcare projects as a Public Private Partnership with three Federal medical institutions. These include two modern Medical Diagnostic Centres located at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano and the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia; as well as one outpatient Cancer Treatment Centre in Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos – which I commissioned on 9th February 2019.
33. Of course, our radical commitment to developing Critical Infrastructure is the foundation upon which we will deliver an all embracing national prosperity and a shared commonwealth.
34. There is no country that aspires to greatness without spending massively on its Critical Infrastructure. Rather than the discredited policy of ‘stomach infrastructure’, which could only benefit a few for a little while, we are focused on real infrastructural development for the growth of our economy and the long-term benefit of all Nigerians.
35. When you voted for our message of CHANGE, you invited us to assume office and depart from that bad and most regrettable choice. We have responded by making a choice for real infrastructure of Roads in every State, Housing in 34 States, Power Stations across Nigeria, Rail from Lagos to Kano.
36. The choice that now confronts us is whether we want to continue with real infrastructure development, which is the road to prosperity and jobs or return to the era of ‘stomach infrastructure’.
37. Agricultural Self-Reliance and Food Security is also a choice we made in fulfilment of your mandate for change.
38. Our Presidential Fertiliser Initiative has resulted in savings of US$150 million in foreign exchange due to local sourcing of inputs at 16 Blending Plants. It has also conserved N60 billion in Subsidies as well as supported tens of thousands of farmers and agro-dealers nationwide.
39. Our Anchor Borrowers’ Programme has substantially raised local rice yields from as low as two Metric Tonnes per hectare, to as high as eight Metric Tonnes per hectare.
40. Through this programme, the Central Bank of Nigeria has cumulatively lent over N120 billion to over 720,000 smallholder farmers cultivating 12 commodities across the 36 States and Abuja. Targeted crops and livestock have included cattle, poultry, fish, cassava, soybeans, ground nut, ginger, sorghum, rice, wheat, cotton and maize.
41. As a result, we have seen a remarkable rise in the production of key agricultural commodities. I am pleased to note that in major departmental stores and local markets, there has been a surge in the supply of high quality Nigerian agricultural produce.
42. Behind each of these products, are thousands of industrious Nigerians working in factories and farms across the nation. Our interventions have led to improved wealth and job creation for these Nigerians, particularly in our rural communities.
43. Again, these outcomes have been a major departure from the previous focus on consuming imported food items, which literally exported our children’s jobs to food-exporting nations, whilst depleting our precious foreign exchange reserves. This, of course, caused a closure of our factories while keeping open other peoples’ factories.
44. The choice made by this Administration to assist farmers directly and promote agriculture in every way possible has gone a long way to enhance our food security while enabling us to tackle poverty by feeding over nine million children daily under our Home-Grown School Feeding Programme. It also puts us clearly on the road to becoming a food secure and agriculture exporting nation.
45. Next to Agriculture, we are focusing on Manufacturing Sector. The Purchasing Managers Index, which is the measure of manufacturing activities in an economy has risen for 22 consecutive months as at January this year, indicating continuous growth and expansion in our manufacturing sector.
46. I will conclude by going back to where I started: that our choices have had consequences about employment and cost of living.
47. In making your choice this time, please ask yourself whether, and in what ways, others will do anything different to address the issues of Agriculture, Infrastructure, Security, Good Governance and Fighting Corruption.
48. If they are only hoping to do what we are already doing successfully, we are clearly your preferred choice.
49. Think carefully and choose wisely. This time, it is a choice about consolidating on growth for Jobs and Prosperity.
50. February 16th is all about a choice. But it is more than a choice between APC and the opposition. It is a choice about you, it is a choice between going back or keeping the momentum of CHANGE.
51. The road to greater prosperity for Nigeria may be long, but what you can be assured of is a Leadership that is not prepared to sacrifice the future well-being of Nigerians for our own personal or material needs. You can be assured of my commitment to remain focused on working to improve the lives of all Nigerians.
52. Thank you very much for listening. God bless you, and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Operatives of the Iru Ekun Security Network have arrested two suspected kidnappers and rescued two abducted residents during a forest operation in Ora-Igbomina, Osun State.
The victims, who were reportedly abducted by gunmen on Tuesday and taken into a nearby forest, regained freedom after members of the local security outfit launched a coordinated search operation following distress reports from residents.
A third victim, however, remained in captivity as of Thursday, with efforts ongoing to secure the person’s release.
According to a statement issued by the outfit, the rescue operation followed intelligence received on June 9 that three residents had been forcibly taken away by armed men in the community, triggering fears among locals already worried about rising insecurity in rural areas.
Residents were said to have spent anxious hours hoping for the victims’ safe return before the intervention by the security operatives.
During the operation carried out on Wednesday, the outfit said its operatives tracked the suspects into a forest around Ora-Igbomina, where two suspected kidnappers were overpowered and arrested.
The security outfit disclosed that two victims were rescued unhurt and immediately evacuated to safety.
The team leader of the network claimed that the suspects confessed during preliminary interrogation to being nationals of the Republic of Niger.
The suspects were later handed over to officers of the Nigeria Police Division, Oke-Ila, Osun State, for further investigation and possible prosecution.
Founder of the outfit, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, commended the operatives for what he described as discipline and professionalism during the mission.
He said the security network was created to complement the efforts of conventional security agencies, especially in rural communities where delayed emergency response often leaves residents vulnerable to attacks.
“Our duty is prevention and protection, not confrontation. Iru Ekun exists to bridge the security gap at the grassroots and ensure our people can farm, travel, and sleep without fear,” he said.
The incident comes amid growing concerns over kidnapping in parts of the South-West, particularly in rural communities across Osun, Oyo, Ondo, and Kwara states, where criminal gangs are increasingly exploiting forest routes to target residents and farmers.
Meanwhile, the security outfit said efforts to rescue the remaining victim were continuing, assuring residents that the search operation was being handled cautiously to guarantee the victim’s safety.
The House of Representatives on Thursday passed the bill seeking to establish state police, with 288 lawmakers voting in support of the proposal and four opposing it.
The resolution followed voting during plenary presided over by the Speaker of the House, Tajudeen Abbas, a day after members of the Green Chamber devoted legislative time to debating the contentious bill.
Announcing the outcome of the exercise, Abbas said lawmakers adopted a manual voting process through a show of hands following the failure of the electronic voting system.
The proposed legislation seeks to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture by creating an additional layer of policing at the state level while providing constitutional safeguards, operational frameworks, oversight mechanisms, and clearly defining the powers of federal and state policing authorities.
The passage of the bill marks a significant legislative step in the long-running national conversation on decentralising policing amid worsening insecurity in several parts of the country.
Before the voting, the House released the final print of the Constitution Alteration Bills seeking to provide a constitutional framework for the establishment of state police and other reforms.
In a statement issued earlier, the House spokesman, Akintunde Rotimi, said the proposed constitutional amendments reflected months of legislative work by the House Committee on Constitution Review.
Rotimi said the review process followed the receipt and consideration of constitutional amendment proposals from lawmakers, government institutions, professional bodies, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, and citizens.
According to him, the process also involved extensive stakeholder engagements, including zonal and national public hearings, expert sessions, consultative meetings, and town hall meetings held across the six geopolitical zones to ensure broad public participation.
“The bills represent the culmination of several months of rigorous legislative work undertaken by the House Committee on Constitution Review,” the statement read.
The House decision comes amid renewed concerns over insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, and violent attacks in parts of the country, with proponents arguing that state police would improve grassroots security and response time.
Meanwhile, the Senate has passed the state police bill for second reading and referred it to the Senate Committee on Constitution Review.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, during plenary, said lawmakers would vote on the bill at a subsequent sitting.
Member of the House of Representatives representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, Engr. Aderemi Oseni, has fulfilled his earlier pledge towards the execution of a solar power project at the Anfaani Muslim Community Central Mosque in Ibadan South-West Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The lawmaker, who chairs the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), released the pledged ₦5 million to facilitate the execution of the project, according to a statement issued on Wednesday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele and made available to journalists in Ibadan.
The statement explained that the release of funds was in fulfilment of Oseni’s commitment to support the mosque’s solar power initiative, noting that the project would be executed at the discretion of the mosque’s central committee.
The media aide said the intervention underscored the lawmaker’s sustained commitment to faith-based institutions, community development and humanitarian service.
“The ₦5 million earlier pledged by Hon. Remi Oseni for the Anfaani Muslim Community Central Mosque solar project has now been fully released for the execution of the project,” the statement said.
“It is important to state that the implementation and handling of the project remain entirely at the discretion of the Central Mosque Committee in line with the leadership structure and priorities of the religious body.”
Oseni, who is also the All Progressives Congress (APC) senatorial candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District ahead of the 2027 general elections, described support for religious institutions as both a privilege and responsibility.
According to him, contributing to initiatives that strengthen worship centres and foster communal development remains an act of service to humanity.
“I had the honour and privilege of supporting the Anfaani Muslim Community Central Mosque with the sum of ₦5 million towards the execution of its solar power project. Supporting institutions devoted to worship and community development is always a blessing and profound responsibility,”
The APC chieftain was quoted as saying.
He added that opportunities to impact society positively should never be taken for granted.
“Whenever we are presented with opportunities to uplift faith-based institutions and contribute to the wellbeing of our communities, we must embrace them with sincerity and gratitude,” he said.
The lawmaker further prayed for continued peace, progress and prosperity across communities, expressing optimism that religious institutions would continue to serve as pillars of moral guidance and social development.
“May Almighty God continue to strengthen our religious institutions, bless our communities with peace, and prosper every effort geared towards the advancement of faith, unity and humanity,” he added.
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