NIGERIA – President Muhammadu Buhari has accused the elites in Nigeria of doing so much to promote insecurity and banditry.
Speaking the inauguration of some projects in Imo state on Tuesday, the president said those should be speaking about the achievements of his administration are not doing so.
He said considering the available resources when his administration came into power, the current government has performed “extremely” well.
“On the question of insecurity and bandits, the Second Niger Bridge, if Nigerians will reflect; anyway, to be frank with you, I blame the Nigerian elite for not sitting and thinking hard about our country,” Buhari said.
“Between 1999 and 2015 when we came in, I will like people to check the Central Bank and the NNPC. The average production was 2.1 million barrels per day at the average cost of $100 per barrel. So, Nigeria was earning at this time 2.1 million times 100 times the number in those years.
“But look at the state of infrastructure; some of the roads since the good old PTF days. Look at the railway; it was virtually killed. Power, we are still struggling.
“But when we came, it was an unfortunate incident — the militants in the south-south were unleashed; production went down to half a million barrels per day. Again, unfortunately, the cost of petroleum went down from $28 to $37.
“Look at the problem in the north-east. Check with anybody from Borno or Adamawa. How many local governments were in the hands of the government and how many were in the hands of Boko Haram? Bloody fraudulent people, whoever they are; they are fraudulent.
“But now, go and ask the hardworking governor of Borno state — a very hardworking governor. The federal government is in charge now.
“So, in relative terms of time and resources, this administration has done extremely well. I have to say it because those who are supposed to say are not saying it. I don’t know why.”
