…Says One Nigeria Still Sacrosanct Mandate
…I Was Lucky to Have Gotten Re-elected for Second Term
President Muhammadu Buhari has said owing to the trajectory which the country was evolving, both politically and democratically, it would not be out of place to advocate for true federalism to create a sense of oneness.
Buhari stated this at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, after being conferred with an award by the Progressives Governors Forum, where he added that it had become necessary, since few privileged individuals and groups exploit and manipulate the ethnic and religious fault to seek personal and partisan advantage.
Asserting his mandate to uphold Nigeria’s unity, Buhari said there was greater need to build bridges across the different divides and instill faith in the unity and indivisibility of one Nigeria.
His statement marked a clear departure from his initial stance on restructuring, which had been advocated by various interest groups in the past.
Buhari also noted that he considered himself lucky to have been re-elected for a second term, going by the odds against him.
His words, “We remain committed to improving the welfare of the Nigerian people. Your Excellencies, it will be belabouring the point to say that true federalism is necessary at this juncture of our political and democratic evolution.
“At a time when some few privileged individuals and groups have chosen to exploit and manipulate the ethnic and religious fault for seeking personal and partisan advantage, we need to build bridges across the different divides and instill faith in the unity and indivisibility of one Nigeria”.
While accepting the award, he said there was a sense of fulfillment that in his first term winds down, economic and political challenges that confronted the nation were tackled effectively through deliberate interventions.
“Against the backdrop of the challenges we have been passing through as a nation arising from past economic and political mismanagement, we must feel justifiably proud to have contributed actively in getting Nigeria back on track in the last four years, in human and infrastructure development.
“I must also seize this opportune moment to acknowledge your contributions to the political, economic, social and cultural development of Nigeria. Economic growth and competitiveness of nations depends on the harmonious collaboration of all the tiers of government, particularly in a federal set-up like ours.
“I call on the state governments to be a strong pillar of support for our anti-corruption agenda, as well as continued support for our programmes of social protection, school feeding programme and other policies geared towards human capital development.
“Going forward, we must all work towards building a socially cohesive society in which the resources of the country work for all. We will continue to apply public funds in such a way that no section of the country or segment of the population suffers social exclusion.
“You are all quite aware that insecurity has remained a big challenge for us all. We are determined to face this challenge and secure the country more than ever before. While the protection of lives and property is a primary responsibility of government; it is also incumbent on the citizens to share in this responsibility, as security is a collective responsibility
“I call on all Nigerians to continue to have faith in our great country. I thank you for your continued patience and sacrifices towards moving the nation forward.
“You will all agree with me that Nigeria is on a renewed growth trajectory accordingly, we will do everything within our powers to sustain the current economic recovery efforts.
“We will continue to reinforce our macroeconomic policies to achieve sustainable economic stability and growth.
“We will also continue to ensure the growth comes along with more jobs and a fair and just distribution of the national wealth. Your continued cooperation in this regard is very vital.
“This administration has come this far always counting on the continued support and goodwill of your excellencies. I am confident that together we would achieve our objective of building a united and prosperous nation. I am very humbled by this award. It is a further reminder for me to continue to dedicate my life and my time to serving the Nigerian people”.
Buhari however digressed a bit, saying sticking to the principles of the merger arrangement prior to 2015 was the magic wand that ensured that the All Progressive Congress defeated former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Chairman of the Progressives Governors Forum, Rochas Okorocha said the governors came up with the idea of honouring the President for his leadership qualities, especially with provision of bailout funds for states to settle salaries when they were in dire financial constraints.
