FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROPOSED HERDSMEN COLONY MISCONSTRUED BY NIGERIANS, SAYS BUHARI

‘‘The impression created that I was sitting in an air-conditioned office and home, enjoying myself while these things happened, is dishonest. At every step, I have tried to foresee these problems because I have the experience as a former military officer who commanded three out of the four divisions of the Nigerian army, in Lagos, Ibadan and Jos’, he said.

The President said, he was quite aware of the problems we have and was doing his  best to get law enforcement agencies to be on alert, stressing  that he would not be tired of recounting remarkable progress recorded in the areas of security, economy and the fight against corruption.

‘‘We have done very well on security in the North East, when you compare what the condition was before we came in and what it is now. On the economy, particularly agriculture, I am very pleased that God answered the prayers of Nigerians who prayed for bountiful harvest. People have taken advantage of Federal Government policies and programmes to return to the farm and they have not regretted,’’ he said.

Buhari while speaking on the fight against corruption said the government would be guided by the law in the investigation and prosecution of all graft-related cases.

‘‘People are being prosecuted systematically with evidence. If a permanent secretary has five houses in Abuja, two in Kaduna and one in Borno and Sokoto and he can’t account for the properties and there are bank transactions linking him to the properties, the prosecuting agencies will not have difficulties to make progress on the case,” he said.

The President also spoke on the question of federal character, explaining that no ethnic group or political zone has been deliberately marginalised in the appointments made so far adding that he would take a second look at areas on which issues have been raised, when a compendium of all government appointments is submitted to him.

The Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama, in his remarks pledged that the Catholic Church in Nigeria would continue to support the federal government and make its contribution to nation-building through prayers, admonitions and assistance to needy Nigerians.

‘‘As the voice of the people, we shall continue to highlight the plight of our people and play our prophetic role of sensitising the government, thus promoting good governance, national unity and cohesion,’’ the cleric said.