Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari returned to the country on Friday after a medical leave of a month and a half that raised questions about his health and some calls for his replacement, but he made clear that whatever was ailing him was not yet over. (Sunday Aghaeze/Nigeria State House via AP)
President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday assured Nigerians that his administration would not waiver in its fight against corruption and ensuring sanity in public affairs.
NAN reports that Buhari gave the assurance while addressing a mammoth crowd of supporters at the flag-off of his re-election campaign in Kaduna.
“We have taken measures to ensure that recovered funds and assets are not handed back to those who looted the treasury as was done after my detention when my administration was toppled in the 80s.
“What we are doing is to ensure that all recovered assets are sold off and the proceeds lodged into the Single Treasury Account. That way, no one will have the opportunity to appropriate such assets.”
The President assured that the government would not be cowed to abandon the corruption war.
“The anti corruption is difficult in the current democratic dispensation, but we will continue to work carefully and steadily until we insulate public funds from looters,” he said.
He said that the administration has recorded tremendous success in the war against insurgency, restiveness in the Niger Delta and other crimes and would not rest until peace is restored to all parts of the country.
“I have nothing to say than to remind you of the situation we met this country and the promises we made to you.
“So the best we can do for our country is to return the APC to power.
“The biggest gift we can give to our country is security and sufficiency and economic prosperity”, he said.
Buhari assured Nigerians that the nation’s economy “is recovering and is on track of development.
“The larger population of the country are youth between the ages of 35 and below, Nigeria has lots of work to do to get you employment and sufficiency. We are determined to do that.”
According to him, the government has also recorded massive success in the area of agriculture and commended the support of all governors, especially those of Lagos, Kebbi, Sokoto, Kano and Jigawa states for the turnaround in rice production.
“We have stopped spending our foreign reserve to import rice, there is sufficiency in rice as we now produce it locally.”
The President expressed confidence that his victory is assured in the state and North West region, and solicited for the support of all to ensure peace and
economic development of the country.
He also promised that his administration, if re-elected in the 2019 general elections, will continue to make life easier for all Nigerians.
The President then called on the people of Kaduna state to ensure that they vote for all APC candidates to enable the party complete all ongoing developmental projects and programmes across the country.
He assured the electorate that the APC administration would not betray Nigerians or allow anyone to betray them.
