President Muhammadu Buhari has wondered
why he came into government at this period of
economic challenges but expressed optimism in
the success of the administration with God’s
help.
The Punch reports that the president said this
on Friday, February 5 when he was addressing
the members of the Nigerian community in the
United Kingdom in London.
President Buhari said he always wondered why
oil, which used to sell for over $140 per barrel,
would reduce to $30 per barrel during his time
as president and why he wasn’t in charge when
the country was financially buoyant. He said he
however continue to pray to God to be merciful
to the over 170 million Nigerians.
“With the problems we have in this government,
I sometimes wonder. At least, this time around,
I asked for it, I prayed for it, I went round the
country and I asked for it. But the first time
under the military, I allowed the military to take
decision.
“But I say why me? Why is it that it is when
they have spent all the money, when they made
the country insecure that I returned?
“Why didn’t I come when the treasury was full?
Oil price was over $140 per barrel and when I
came, it slipped down to $30. Why me?
“I keep on praying to God to pity Nigeria and its
over 170 million people who are exposed to
climate change, illiteracy and poverty.”
Buhari said his administration had succeeded in
mopping up over N2.2trn as of January through
the Treasury Single Account arrangement. He
explained that although it was introduced by
former president, Goodluck Jonathan, he didn’t
know why it was not implemented.
“You know the condition we are in now. I am
sure with demands from home, in spite of what
your effort is, you know we are really in trouble.
“We have tried to impose what we call Treasury
Single Account. The reason is simple. This
government did not initiate it; it was initiated
by the previous government. But it was so
unpopular to the bureaucracy, so the previous
government for its own reasons, could not
impose it.
“But when we came and we found out that we
were broke, we said this is the way to do it.
“I will tell you two examples to convince you.
Firstly, the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation had more than 45 accounts.
Ministry of Defence had more than 70 accounts.
Tell me which Accountant-General can trace all
these accounts?
“So, we imposed TSA. By the end of December,
coming to January 2016, we mopped up more
than N2.2trn which would have been used
through bureaucratic system to raise vouchers
and sign cheques so that they don’t go into the
next budget.”
The president applauded the United States and
Britain for preventing the previous
administration from rigging the election. He
recalled that Samdo Dasuki, the national security
adviser had urged the service chiefs to tell the
Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) that they could not guarantee safety
during the polls. He said Professor Attahiru Jega,
the chairman of INEC had guarantee 60 percent
free and fair election at a point when the
country had only managed 45 per cent.
“Then we insisted that election must be done
according to the constitution.
“At this point again, I must hasten to thank the
United States for sending the Secretary of State,
Kerry, to go and read the riot act to the
previous government and speak to Prof. Jega,
the Chairman of INEC and speak to us as
opposition that the US would not tolerate any
election outside the Nigerian constitution.
“They maintained the pressure from that date
until after the election and the formation of the
new government.
“I think Nigerians honestly should thank the US
for this. The same thing with Britain, they used
all their experience and their powers to make
sure that the Federal Government did not rig
the last election.
“We thank God, we thank these super powers
and we thank technology. Why we thank
technology is because of the permanent voter
cards and the card readers.”
Meanwhile, t he president has handed over
power to Yemi Osinbajo, the vice president while
he is on a short vacation, a move that has
generated reactions from Nigerians
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