In this season of tremendous angst in our nation, what will be your reaction, if the handlers of President Muhammadu Buhari encouraged him to make a broadcast such as the following to citizens of the Nigerian nation?
Fellow Nigerians, It is now more than a year since you came out in your millions to overwhelmingly vote for me and members of my party, the APC, in the historic 2015 elections. Very soon, it will be one year since we took over the reins of government at the Federal level and in many state capitals across the country.
I am very much aware of the glaring inadequacy in foreign exchange availability which has made transactions difficult for many citizens in our country. I have personally witnessed the embarrassing fuel queues that have remained at petrol stations across the country causing many of our citizens to spend valuable hours to obtain a product that the Almighty has endowed us with. I am aware of the epileptic power supply being experienced by citizens in almost every home, office or factory in our nation and the hardship that Nigerians have had to endure. Fellow citizens, I know that the question is being asked: ‘is this the change we voted for?’
I believe that part of the reason you cast your vote en masse for the change we promised was because most Nigerians had agreed that something was very wrong with our nation and there was a need for fundamental change of direction if we are to leave a nation worth its name for our children. It is therefore clear that those of us who sought your vote knew that we had very tough challenges to grapple with.
I however need to level with you. In the last several months I have had a chance to see at close quarters the rape, plunder, wickedness and avarice visited on our nation by some of our country men in whom we had placed our trust. To put it simply, Nigeria has been treated like a conquered nation and much of our wealth has been looted and shipped out for the development of other nations while our citizens grapple with hunger and unemployment. When we promised change to Nigerians, it was not change from bad to worse but change from bad to good.
We all know that the price of crude oil which unfortunately has remained the main source of foreign exchange for our country has crashed from about $108 a barrel and recently went down to less than $30 a barrel. That certainly should affect our expenditure profile. However, if we had managed our economy with the fear of the Almighty and the respect of our people, we would have saved or properly invested a good part of our significant income during the boom days and we will today not be faced with the foreign exchange disruptions, the unavailability of petroleum products and the hardship presently faced by many Nigerians.
I therefore want to say to every Nigerian that the fight against corruption, money laundering, mismanagement and waste in all their forms is not a rhetorical engagement driven by the president’s personal philosophy. The truth is that we have allowed huge leakages in our national bucket and the thirst, foreign exchange problems, fuel shortages, power problems, unemployment, inadequate healthcare or educational facilities and general hardship faced by Nigerians today are products of the corruption that has ravaged our land.
It is very important therefore that we no longer see the war against corruption as a Buhari war. It is a Nigerian war and every well-meaning Nigerian must actively get involved. We must fight corruption using our churches and mosques. We must fight corruption at our town unions, local and state governments. We must fight corruption using our civil society groups and social clubs. We must deal with corruption at every level of government because if Nigerians do not deal with corruption, corruption will deal with Nigerians. Let nobody think that I am not aware that there are people close to the present government who think that this is their own opportunity to plunder. I am watching everyone whether you are APC, PDP or whatever.
During the elections, I participated in some Christian programs in some churches. It was not an election gimmick. Whenever exigencies allow, I intend to join our Christian brothers and sisters in prayers again. While I am a practicing Moslem, it is my belief that we worship the same God simply in different ways and that our religious practices should not divide us. It is the same way that I have very good friends from every part of our nation and there is nowhere in Nigeria that I do not feel at home.
I verily believe that Nigeria is a greater nation because of its ethnic diversities and the skills and endowments each group brings to our commonwealth. For instance, no group in Nigeria has shown a talent for commerce more than our brothers and sisters from the South East. From Otuocha in Anambra to Ariaria in Abia to Alaba in Lagos to Sabongari in Kano, our brothers and sisters of Igbo extraction should continue to be given every assistance to participate in their trade without let or hindrance because they contribute to the growth of our nation. It is the same way that our Hausa/Fulani brothers and sisters are a major contributor to the food we eat weather it is in terms of livestock or various agricultural products. Our brothers from the Southwest may have shown us that they have special skills in capital acquisition and management. Simply put, a nation approaching 200 million people gives each of us a sizeable market to blossom. It is in our shared interest to assist every group to make contributions to our overall welfare.
When we see the blood that has been shed and the unimaginable suffering in different parts of the world over ethnic and religious differences, you may then understand why as president I consider it a sacred duty not to let Nigeria thread those dangerous parts. Let it be made clear that I would not tolerate the harassment of any Nigerian in any part of the country simply on tribal or religious grounds
I just came back from China were we reached some agreements that should quickly reduce the hardship in our country. I am aware that there are persons who have questioned my frequent foreign travels. The truth is that I will not serve Nigerians properly by just sitting at home and moaning about our problems. Our nation needs help from different groups around the world and I will go anywhere in the world to get the help that Nigeria needs.
You will recall that not long ago, the insurgency in the North East was threatening to overrun our entire country. Thanks to our gallant soldiers, we have brought that under significant control as a result of the assistance we have received from our friends.
Let us not forget that this the first time in our history that in a democratic process, one political party has taken over government from another. The changes in personnel, systems and philosophy are enormous. Nevertheless these changes should not grind the lives of our citizens to a halt. Now that we are finalizing our budgetary processes, I have made it clear to all the ministers and different heads of institutions that Nigerians have suffered enough. The days of looting are gone. Nigerians elected us to provide solutions and not to give them excuses. They have been told that any of them who is unable to provide the solutions that our people need should give me his resignation. Let me be clear: You either deliver or you go.
Thank you.
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