• INEC Okays Resumption Of Political Campaigns
  • Abia INEC Seeks Release Of Staff Wrongfully Arrested
  • N-POWER, Police React To Abia Fake Election Results
  • Donald Duke Advocates Electronic Voting
  • APC Dares INEC Over Campaigns
  • INEC Says Postponement Of Polls Is In Good Fate
  • Bauchi Residents Repose Confidence In INEC
  • Fmr President, Jonathan Urges Nigerians To Build Peace
  • Ortom Sympathises With APC Over Chairman's Murder
  • Plateau State Residents Put Presidential Poll Postponement Behind Them
EN
Tuesday 19th Feb 2019
AIT - Africa Independent Television
AFRICA
INDEPENDENT
TELEVISION
    • Breaking News
    • Now on TV
    • Watch AIT Now
    • Our Media Channels
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
    • Google +
    • Instagram
    • RSS
    • DAAR
      • AIT
      • DAAR Communications
      • DAAR SAT
      • Ray Power
      • Faaji FM
  • News
    • Politics
    • Nation
    • Security
    • History
    • Business and Economy
    • Environment
    • Sports
    • Niger Delta
    • Science and Tech
    • Education
    • Health
    • Transport
    • Arts and Culture
    • Religion
    • Gender and Youth Development
    • Entertainment
    • International News
    • Oddities
    • Court orders Dasuki’s trial to continue


  • TV
    • #
      Now Showing: Democracy In Session
    • TV programmes
    • Schedule
    • Presenters
    • Religion
    • Children
    • Drama
    • Entertainment
    • Talkshow
    • Current Affairs
    • Public Enlightenment
    • Business
    • Musicals
    • Sports
    • Women
    • Magazine/Talk Shows
    • Soap Opera / Series
    • Culture And Tourism

  • AIT Live
  • About
    • About AIT
    • Timeline
    • Careers
    • Awards and Recognition
    • Management Team
  • Contact
    • Contact Us
    • Locations
  • Top Up
  •  

FG Replies Obasanjo, Defends Buhari [FULL STATEMENT]

comments
1 year ago / Nation 

The Federal Government has responded to a recent statement by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in which he criticised the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, the Presidency defended President Buhari.

READ ALSO: APC, APGA, Labour React To Obasanjo

Read full statement below:

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. Specifically, the former President said President Buhari must be given credit for his achievement so far in these two areas. We thank him for this.

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!

The Way Out: A Clarion Call For Coalition For Nigerian Movement By Olusegun Obasanjo (FULL STATEMENT)

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 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 geopolitical 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 that fact that the clashes predate us. I will 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 hours 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.

Previous: Former SGF Babachir Lawal In EFCC Custody Next: Challenges Of Brain And Spine Disease Highlighted
Share

comments powered by Disqus

Related Posts

Bauchi Residents Repose Confidence In INEC
Ortom Sympathises With APC Over Chairman's Murder
Plateau State Residents Put Presidential Poll Postponement Behind Them
Four NDLEA Officers Killed At Check Point In Ondo
Buhari Reads Riot Act To Ballot Box Snatchers
NDDC Tasked On Socio-Economic Strategy For Region’s Development
advertisement

Popular articles

  • #

    CCT Grants Onnoghen Bail

    Nation  3 days ago
  • #

    The Two Tales Of President Buhari’s Address

    Nation  3 days ago
  • Trump To Declare Emergency Over Mexico Border Wall

  • 21 Savage Breaks Silence On ICE Arrest: 'It Was Definitely Targeted'

  • Katy Perry And Orlando Bloom Get Engaged

  • #

    INEC Deploys 1,315 Vehicles For Elections In Abia

    Nation  3 days ago
  • #

    Ondo NSCDC Gets New Commandant For Election

    Nation  Security  3 days ago
  • #

    NEPAD Empowerment 450 Women, Youths In Imo

    Nation  3 days ago
  • #

    Unknown Gunmen Kill Sixty-Six People In Kaduna

    Nation  Security  3 days ago
  • #

    Observer Group Opens Parallel Vote Tabulation Data Centre For Elections

    Nation  Politics  3 days ago

Mobile Top Up

advertisement

@AIT_Online tweets

Tweets by @AIT_Online

Travel / Weather

4:10 AM

Popular Tags

Boko Haram Terrorists... Boko Haram Hoodlums Attack Kogi Deputy Gov. Presidential and National Assembly elections... AIT APC Chieftain Edo Boko Haram terrorists... INEC Kogi State Deputy Governor... Masari

Information

AIT is a subsidiary of DAAR Communications Plc. DAAR Communications Plc is the foremost Independent Broadcast Organization in the Federal Republic of Nigeria pioneering private/independent broadcasting with the establishment of RayPower 100.5FM, AIT, Daarsat -The first fully Nigerian base digital multi-channel direct-to-home subscription TV and an indigenous station FAAJI FM

Email: info@aitonline.tv

From our Blog

  • The Message And The Messenger

    1 year ago
  • #

    Opinion: When Education Becomes A Priority

    2 years ago
  • Boko Haram: The Beginning Of The End And The End Of The Beginning

    2 years ago
  • #

    BUY NAIJA TO GROW THE NAIRA CAMPAIGN: CHALLENGES AND PROSPECTS

    2 years ago

Links

  • Home
  • News
  • TV
  • Videos
  • AIT Live
  • About
  • Contact

Follow us

advertisement
ist nigeria
© 2019 Africa Independent Television. All Rights Reserved. Powered by Infostrategy Technology.