My fellow compatriots, three years ago when I took oath of office as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, I was determined to serve a single term of four years and leave the stage. It was my intention to do all that was humanly possible to unify our country and heal the wounds caused by the 2011 presidential elections. I also pledged to transform Nigeria and make it a country we can all be proud of.
At the time I took office, 45 per cent of Nigerian youth were unemployed. We set up the Nigeria Job Creation Committee to address the problem. Despite our efforts however, the challenge of unemployment still remains and millions of Nigerians still have no jobs. I believe it would be unfair to bequeath such a critical problem to another administration without doing something about it.
My fellow compatriots, you may recall that even before I became president, majority of Nigerians lived in poverty. In the last three years, my government confronted poverty head-on. We have recorded some measure of success, but as you are aware, poverty cannot be eradicated within just four years. Our efforts are bearing fruit, but it will be some time before we can beat our chests proudly and declare that the battle against poverty has been won. I am optimistic that we will get there.
Four years ago, the federal government approved the establishment of nine federal universities in different locations in Nigeria. It makes me happy to inform you today that the first batches of students from those universities are about to graduate. Our political opponents may say none of our universities appears on the list of the top universities in the world. To them I say, education takes time to develop. The decay we met was too deep to be sorted out in three or four years. Though we are making progress, we need more time to consolidate.
As you are aware, there is a well-planned conspiracy by the international community to label Nigeria as the most corrupt country in the world. They do not understand our cultural values and norms, so they see simple ‘thank you' gestures to our friends, allies and traditional leaders as acts of corruption. But we all know that is not true. The EFCC, ICPC and Code of Conduct Bureau have recorded appreciable successes under my administration. The claim that we only go after our perceived opponents is certainly not true.
Our detractors have been making farcical allegations that government has returned the country to the debt trap, with nothing to show for it. I assure that every kobo of domestic and foreign loans we have taken is in the best interests of Nigeria. It is true that the capital intensive political activities of 2011 resulted in double-digit inflation, but we are working on it. It will be unjustified to leave huge debts and high inflation as our legacies to a new government. Obviously, a little more time is required to sort out these challenges.
On security, our political opponents only see the negative aspects of things without giving credit where credit is due. The amount of N162 billion that was budgeted for the office of the National Security Adviser in 2011 is public knowledge. Since then, we have consistently increased allocations to the NSA. We still have security challenges, but no one can question our commitment to the protection of lives and property of all Nigerians.
My fellow compatriots, in view of the litany of challenges still confronting our dear country, Nigeria, I have carefully considered my options and consulted widely with my family, party, state governors, traditional leaders and other stakeholders. The conclusion I have arrived at is that this administration requires four more years to consolidate the transformation we promised. It is my firm conviction that within the next four years, we will bring to a logical conclusion, the programmes and projects my government initiated.
Finally, I wish to reiterate my view that the vexed issue of zoning has done more harm than good to this country; what most Nigerians want is good governance. That is what I have offered since I came to office, and that is what I promise in the future. It is therefore with a deep sense of humility that I inform you of my intention to seek my party's nomination, and if successful, stand for election as president for another four years. No sane person would want to remain in such a difficult, thankless job, but it is a painful sacrifice I am prepared to make for our Fatherland.
Thank you, and long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
At the time I took office, 45 per cent of Nigerian youth were unemployed. We set up the Nigeria Job Creation Committee to address the problem. Despite our efforts however, the challenge of unemployment still remains and millions of Nigerians still have no jobs. I believe it would be unfair to bequeath such a critical problem to another administration without doing something about it.
My fellow compatriots, you may recall that even before I became president, majority of Nigerians lived in poverty. In the last three years, my government confronted poverty head-on. We have recorded some measure of success, but as you are aware, poverty cannot be eradicated within just four years. Our efforts are bearing fruit, but it will be some time before we can beat our chests proudly and declare that the battle against poverty has been won. I am optimistic that we will get there.
Four years ago, the federal government approved the establishment of nine federal universities in different locations in Nigeria. It makes me happy to inform you today that the first batches of students from those universities are about to graduate. Our political opponents may say none of our universities appears on the list of the top universities in the world. To them I say, education takes time to develop. The decay we met was too deep to be sorted out in three or four years. Though we are making progress, we need more time to consolidate.
As you are aware, there is a well-planned conspiracy by the international community to label Nigeria as the most corrupt country in the world. They do not understand our cultural values and norms, so they see simple ‘thank you' gestures to our friends, allies and traditional leaders as acts of corruption. But we all know that is not true. The EFCC, ICPC and Code of Conduct Bureau have recorded appreciable successes under my administration. The claim that we only go after our perceived opponents is certainly not true.
Our detractors have been making farcical allegations that government has returned the country to the debt trap, with nothing to show for it. I assure that every kobo of domestic and foreign loans we have taken is in the best interests of Nigeria. It is true that the capital intensive political activities of 2011 resulted in double-digit inflation, but we are working on it. It will be unjustified to leave huge debts and high inflation as our legacies to a new government. Obviously, a little more time is required to sort out these challenges.
On security, our political opponents only see the negative aspects of things without giving credit where credit is due. The amount of N162 billion that was budgeted for the office of the National Security Adviser in 2011 is public knowledge. Since then, we have consistently increased allocations to the NSA. We still have security challenges, but no one can question our commitment to the protection of lives and property of all Nigerians.
My fellow compatriots, in view of the litany of challenges still confronting our dear country, Nigeria, I have carefully considered my options and consulted widely with my family, party, state governors, traditional leaders and other stakeholders. The conclusion I have arrived at is that this administration requires four more years to consolidate the transformation we promised. It is my firm conviction that within the next four years, we will bring to a logical conclusion, the programmes and projects my government initiated.
Finally, I wish to reiterate my view that the vexed issue of zoning has done more harm than good to this country; what most Nigerians want is good governance. That is what I have offered since I came to office, and that is what I promise in the future. It is therefore with a deep sense of humility that I inform you of my intention to seek my party's nomination, and if successful, stand for election as president for another four years. No sane person would want to remain in such a difficult, thankless job, but it is a painful sacrifice I am prepared to make for our Fatherland.
Thank you, and long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Thanks Salisu for this incredible creativity at predicting the future. Certainly, all might come to pass precisely as you plaited in this write up. At te same time I am beginning to suspect hat you have also joined them and therefore charged with the task of flying the kite and preparing our minds. Whatever be e case, I must say that I am happy and proud of rising profile a one of the most credible and intelligent bloggers in Nigeria.
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