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I Didn't Know Why I Came To Rule Now - Buhari by JaypeeAnics(m): 8:57am On Feb 06, 2016 |
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said
that with the quantum of problems his
administration inherited, he sometimes
wondered why he had to seek power at this
time.
Buhari spoke in London while addressing
members of the Nigerian community in the
United Kingdom.
Our correspondent obtained a transcript of the
President’s address to the gathering on Friday.
Buhari said he wondered why oil, which used to
sell for over $140 per barrel, would reduce to
$30 per barrel during his time as the President.
Notwithstanding the problem, however, Buhari
said he kept praying to God to be merciful to
the over 170 million Nigerians who are exposed
to poverty, illiteracy and other social ills.
He said, “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.”
The President, however, said his administration
had succeeded in mopping up over N2.2trn as
of January through the Treasury Single Account
arrangement.
He said although the TSA was introduced by the
administration of former President Goodluck
Jonathan, that administration could not
implement it for reasons best known to its
officials.
He said his administration decided to implement
the arrangement when he came on board and
discovered that the country was broke.
The President said, “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 said Nigeria owed the United
States and Britain a lot of appreciation for
stopping the former administration from rigging
the last presidential election.
He recalled that ahead of the elections, the
former National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo
Dasuki (retd.), urged the service chiefs and the
then Inspector-General of Police to tell officials
of the Independent National Electoral
Commission that they could not guarantee their
safety during the polls.
He said the then Chairman of INEC, Prof.
Attahiru Jega, however, gave a comprehensive
report at a meeting of the National Council of
State, where he said he would be able to
deliver, at least, 60 per cent free and fair
election.
The President said as of that time, the country
had never gone beyond 45 per cent.
He said it took the intervention of US Secretary
of State, John Kerry, for the last administration
to conduct credible election.
He said, “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.”
Buhari said the issue of Diaspora voting had
been coming up in all the countries he had
visited since the inception of his administration.
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Re: I Didn't Know Why I Came To Rule Now - Buhari by Nobody: 9:01am On Feb 06, 2016 |
He's now blaming himself. Kikikikiki 1 Like |
Re: I Didn't Know Why I Came To Rule Now - Buhari by JaypeeAnics(m): 9:03am On Feb 06, 2016 |
This is why we call him clueless.... u don't know why u came to rule now!!! I thought u said u wanted to save us from d hands of our wicked leaders-pdp and give us CHANGE. why not step down for someone better and stop deceiving us with ur so called and over hyped CHANGE. |
Re: I Didn't Know Why I Came To Rule Now - Buhari by StOla: 9:05am On Feb 06, 2016 |
Because Nigeria needed a patriot at this defining moment. We had tried a prison inmate who suddenly forgot about his sufferings. We also tried a PHD holder who grow up as a boy without shoes, but decided the poor should never have shoes while he frolicked with the cabal to acquire everything in sight. So we looked back in nostalgia to remember a man who did not deny his rustic and ordinary upbringing despite holding sway in the most profitable positions in the army and nation. Even your opponents campaigned inadvertently on your behalf. Instead of telling us what they had achieved as a government in the last 5years or as a ruling party in the last 16years, they rather promised that not until given the next term before we begin to see an service delivery from them. They even derided your attempts to fight corruption and instil discipline in your military regime, thereby reminding us of their own celebration of corruption and determination not to change for the better if afforded another 4year term. You came at the right time. Your's is the commission of a patriot. 1 Like |
Re: I Didn't Know Why I Came To Rule Now - Buhari by psucc(m): 9:06am On Feb 06, 2016 |
Buhari should know that whatever event that took place is on records. The then NSA was only asking for postponement of the election and not cancellation. |
Re: I Didn't Know Why I Came To Rule Now - Buhari by Ozid(m): 9:13am On Feb 06, 2016 |
I pray with u Buhari. Nigeria is in a big mess which we all Nigerians know. My prayer for u is that God shld give u the wisdom and power to achieve the dreams of Nigeria. Amin!!! 1 Like |
Re: I Didn't Know Why I Came To Rule Now - Buhari by Sibrah: 9:14am On Feb 06, 2016 |
PDP finished the treasury. |
Re: I Didn't Know Why I Came To Rule Now - Buhari by Mynd44: 9:23am On Feb 06, 2016 |
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