FG replies Obasanjo, list achievements of Buhari: Full Text
Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, gave the response in a seven-page statement released on Wednesday. The former President had in a statement asked President Buhari not to seek for a second term in office.
READ FULL STATEMENT:
We have read the press statement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the State of the Nation.
For the record, Chief Obasanjo is a patriot, and he has proven this time and time again. We appreciate what he said concerning the Administration’s performance in two out of the three key issues that formed the plank of its campaign: Fighting corruption and tackling insurgency.
Apparently, the former President believes that the
Administration does not deserve a pass mark in the area of the economy, which
is the third of our three-pronged campaign promises.
We have no doubt that in the face of massive
challenges in this area, this Administration has availed itself creditably. We
believe that Chief Obasanjo, because of his very busy schedule, may not have
been fully availed of developments in the government’s efforts to revamp the
economy, which was battered by the consequences of over-dependence on a
commodity as well as unprecedented pillaging of the treasury.
Today, most of the indices by which an economy is
measured are looking up. Permit me to say, however, that Nigeria would not have
exited recession through a mere order or if the Administration had not made use
of ”good Nigerians” who could help.
This Administration is making steady progress in
its determined effort to revamp the economy, and the results are showing:
* Foreign Reserves have peaked at $40b, the
highest level in about four years, and up from $24 billion just a year ago,
even though when we came in, the price of oil had crashed woefully.
* According to the National Bureau of Statistics
(NBC), headline inflation has fallen for 11 consecutive months, standing at
15.37% as at Dec. 2017. This is the lowest inflation rate since Jan 2017, and
it has met and surpassed the target set for inflation in the Administration’s
Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP).
* Our determined implementation of the Treasury
Single Account (TSA) has stopped the haemorrhaging of the treasury. Some 108
billion Naira has been saved from removal of maintenance fees payable to banks,
pre-TSA. The nation is being saved 24.7 billion Naira monthly with the full
implementation of the TSA.
* The elimination of ghost workers has saved the
nation 120 billion Naira
* At about
1.8 billion dollars, the capital inflows in the second quarter of 2017 were
almost double the $908 million in the first quarter.
* In the wake of a stable Naira and increased
investment inflows, Nigeria’s stock market emerged one of the best-performing
in the world, delivering returns in excess of 40 percent.
* Nigeria rose 24 places on the World Bank’s Ease
of Doing Business ranking, and earned a place on the List of Top 10 Reformers
in the world.
* According to Q3 2017 figures, agriculture export
is up year-on-year by 25%, solid minerals exports are up year-on-year by 78%,
raw materials exports are up 70% year-on-year and manufactured goods exports
are up 22% year-on-year.
* Government agencies such as the Nigeria Customs
Service are reporting highest-ever revenue collection, while JAMB, under the
new management appointed by President Buhari in 2016, remitted N7.8 billion to
the coffers of the federal government. The total amount remitted by JAMB
between 2010 and 2016 was a paltry N51 million!
These positive indices may not have immediately
impacted positively on Nigerians, but Nigerians will definitely get a new lease
of life a short while from now. This is because the good news from the
agricultural sector, which is recording a bumper harvest, will bring down the
cost of foodstuffs, especially such staple as rice, and our massive Social
Investment Programme will ease the pain of the most vulnerable in the society.
When we assumed office in 2015, some 6 million
farmers were involved in rice production. Thanks to the Anchor Borrowers’
programme of this Administration, we have grown that number to over 12 million
farmers. The result is that our rice import from Thailand alone has dropped
from 644,000 metric tonnes to 22,000 MT in just two years. This is phenomenal.
Apart from rice, Nigeria is also doing well in
other grains, especially Millet, Sorghum and Maize. We are now the second
largest
producer of sorghum after the US, the third in
millet after India and our breweries are now enjoying local sourcing of those
commodities.
For maize, we are producing 10 million tons while
we need about 13 million tons for both human and animal nutrition. Nigeria
leads the world in the yam and cassava production. We account for 70% of the
world’s yam production. In two years, we hope to be the world’s largest
exporter of yam! Overall, our ambition is that agriculture should rise from 25%
to 40% of GDP, so that we can banish poverty and overcome our economic anxiety.
Our Social Investment Programme is Nigeria’s most
ambitious social welfare programme ever. Currently, 5.2 million primary school
children
in 28,249 schools in 19 states are being fed daily;
200,000 unemployed graduates have enlisted into the N-power Job Scheme, and a
quarter of a million loans already distributed to artisans, traders, and
farmers.
Finally, our investment in infrastructure is
simply unprecedented. This is because infrastructure is key to faster economic
growth and development.
Here is a synopsis of what we have done in this
area:
* Power Generation at an all-time high of 7,000mw
and all can be transmitted
* RAIL: Lagos-Kano Standard Gauge is on.
Lagos-Ibadan sector ready 2019, Kano-Kaduna ready 2019; The entire stretch
ready 2021; Negotiations on for Coastal Rail covering 15 cities from Lagos to
Calabar.
* ROAD: 25 major highways being funded with the
N100b Sukuk Bond, and all geo-political zones are benefitting equally
This Administration is not unaware of the enormity
of the challenges facing the nation, but we are up to the task. We have taken
the bull by the horns, and long-suffering Nigerians will begin to experience a
new lease of life as our efforts yield fruits. We will not go into a state of
funk for whatever reason.
On the Herders/Farmers’ clashes, this
Administration is determined to end the crisis resulting from this once and for
all, not minding the fact that the clashes predate us. we urge Nigerians to
have faith in the Administration’s ability to resolve the crisis, and to watch
out for concrete measures in this regard.
On whether or not President Muhammadu Buhari
should run for another term, it is true that many Nigerians have been calling
on the President to run again, while others are opposed to his return. However,
we believe this issue is a distraction for the President at this time. This is
because Mr. President spends every waking hour tackling the enormous challenges
facing the nation, most of which were bequeathed to his Administration by
successive past Administrations. He is committed to fulfilling the mandate
given to him by Nigerians in 2015. And that’s where we are right now!
Finally, we have no reason to believe that former
President Obasanjo has any motive beyond the well-being of the nation in
issuing his Special Press Statement. We have also taken his admonition in good
faith, and we thank him most sincerely for taking time off his busy schedule to
pen such a long statement.
The Nation
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