President Buhari
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said he holds no grudges against Nigerians who feel his administration hasn’t made enough progress in the past five years, especially as it relates to insecurity.
The President made the remark during his 2021 New Year message to Nigerians.
According to the President, he’s aware that for some of “our compatriots, the progress we have registered since the inception of this administration is not nearly as fast or as sufficient as they would wish. I do not begrudge them their views in so far as they signify a wish, in which we all share, for only the very best for our country.
While acknowledging that 2020 was a very tough year, “we saw this year put to test our national resilience and ability to survive these tough times and also gave renewed hope that we will again brave any storms that lay ahead in 2021 and beyond”.
“As we celebrate the opportunity before us in this New Year 2021, we must also acknowledge the passing away of our brothers and sisters who didn’t make it into this New Year. May their souls rest in perfect peace”.
“We must remember that we also celebrated the historic occasion of our sixty years as an independent and sovereign country on October 1st 2020. In the spirit of hope and gratitude, I would like to remind us again that as a country on the difficult journey to nationhood and greatness, we have confounded the many pundits at home and around the world who never gave the newly-born country that emerged unto the world stage on 1st October 1960 a chance of surviving much longer than a few years”.
“I am aware that for some of our compatriots, the progress we have registered since the inception of this administration is not nearly as fast or as sufficient as they would wish,” the President said. “I do not begrudge them their views in so far as they signify a wish, in which we all share, for only the very best for our country.”
However, he added, more reflection is required regarding how far the country has come since 2015.
“Nevertheless, I call upon all Nigerians to carefully recall the circumstances of our coming to office, the facts on the ground, and the resources at our disposal since 2015 with the accomplishments of this administration,” President Buhari said.
The President also linked the spate of violence to chronic poverty, social exclusion, and disillusionment among sections of the youth.
