Buhari On Course--APC

                The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday reviewed the first one month of the Buhari Administration, saying the President is on course.
The party noted that President Muhammadu Buhari was tackling insecurity and corruption, adding that efforts were being made to restore Nigeria’s respect in the international community.


APC National Publicity Secretary Lai Mohammed, who spoke with reporters in Lagos, urged Nigerians to support the administration in its bid to chart a new path for the country.

He faulted the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s assessment of the administration, pointing out that it was subjective.

Mohammed said: “It’s been about one month now since President Buhari assumed office and I can tell you that there has been motion, and there has been movement, contrary to what is being peddled in some quarters.”

The Publicity Secretary noted that Nigerians had high expectations about the APC government, owing to the promise made by the party to halt insecurity, stamp out corruption, revive the troubled economy, provide jobs and restore hope.

He said: “Justifiably, the expectations are high and urgent, and the Buhari administration has started addressing them, despite the enormous challenges that it faces, including an empty treasury and an economy that has virtually collapsed.

“The Buhari administration got the handover notes from the former government just four days before the inauguration, hampering its efforts to have a clear understanding of the situation on the ground before taking the necessary measures to address it. If any disease is not appropriately diagnosed, it cannot be effectively treated. Any government that is truly desirous of bringing about real change will not act hastily and without the necessary understanding of what is on ground.

Coupled with the delay in getting the much-needed information, that takes time.

“Secondly, Nigeria has never before witnessed this kind of transition. What the country has been accustomed to is transition from one government to another under the same ruling party, not from the ruling party to the opposition as we have now. The implication is that this is a new learning curve, with its attendant hiccups.

“Thirdly, never before has the ship of Nigerian state been steered aground as we have it now. Never before have Nigerians been this expectant from any leader or any government. These are all the more reasons to get things right, once and for all. So, we won’t need to continue with the vicious cycle of hopes raised and dashed.”

Mohammed said Buhari had started to tackle terrorism by galvanising neighbouring countries, including Chad, Cameron and Benin Republic, to combat the Boko Haram sect.

He added: “The result is the decision to deploy the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), with headquarters in N’Djamena, Chad, on July 30th to pep up the fight against Boko Haram! This is the same force that the past administration could not get off the ground in six years.

“President Buhari has also rallied the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) to work with Nigeria in battling the Boko Haram insurgency.

“Outside our sub-region, the President travelled to Germany to meet with G7 leaders to present to them a wish list that included getting their support for the battle against Boko Haram. The leaders of the countries affected by the Boko Haram insurgency have compiled their requirements which are being forwarded to the G7 for appropriate action.

“While waiting for that, the US has announced a five-million-dollar assistance for the fight against the terrorists who have been ravaging our country and our sub-region. Added to the relocation by the Nigerian military of the command centre to Maiduguri, these are no mean achievements.”

Noting that the war against corruption is on course, Mohammed said: “Some Western nations have assured the Buhari Administration of assistance in its efforts to recover the billions of Naira that was spirited away from the public till by public officers, who abused their office during the immediate past administration.

“The President has ordered revenue-generating agencies, including the NNPC, FIRS,  Customs and NPA, to close all ‘Illegal Revenue Accounts’ and to also remit all funds generated to the Federation Account. This is a momentous step, considering that those illegal accounts are being used to siphon public funds.”

The Publicity Secretary said owing to the President’s efforts, it has been revealed that, of the N8.1 trillion generated by the NNPC in three years, N3.8 trillion was not remitted to the Federation Account.

He said that Nigerians were also aware that the cash in the Excess Crude Account had been depleted by two billion dollars without explanation, adding that  a panel of four governors has been set up to investigate the lack of remittance and what happened to the money that was not remitted to the Federation Account.

Mohammed explained that Nigeria had bounced back in the comity of nations, following President Buhari’s inauguration.

He said world leaders who in the past shunned Nigeria had been inviting, in droves, the President to visit their countries. “The latest is US President Barack Obama, who will play host to our President at the White House on July 20,” he added.

Mohammed pointed out that the election of former Minister of Agriculture Akinwumi Adesina as the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB)had attested to Nigeria’s stature in the international community.

He said: “ The mere fact that President Buhari, a man of impeccable pedigree, an incorruptible personality, has taken over the mantle of leadership has spurred Nigerians to dream again, put public servants on their toes, forced many looters to start disgorging some of their loot even without prompting, and fired the zeal of many public enterprises to deliver better services.”

“We in the APC assure our compatriots, who have expressed their concerns in recent times, that there is no cause for alarm. The Buhari Administration is willing, determined and able to effect the change that Nigerians voted for, despite the initial challenges. No one, not even the reactionary forces that are rampaging now, can sabotage our party’s change mantra.”