Nigeria’s president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, on Sunday in Abuja said he would shift attention from oil to agricultural and mining sectors to create jobs.
Buhari said this while receiving Northern Elders led by Nigeria’s permanent representative at the United Nations, Alhaji Maitama Sule, visited him.
He said he would address the problem of unemployment as it was one of the biggest challenges facing the nation.
“The biggest message is to try and persuade the people that it is not possible to change the state of affairs now. It took 16 years and those 16 years, most of you know it better than myself, Nigeria earned revenue more than what it earned from 1914 till then.
“In the economy, we have to quickly turn to agriculture and mining because that is where you can do the quickest work and earn results. In other areas, you need to study them and dust all the books and studies and get people, experienced people, committed people, technocrats to come and help the government.
“They need to help the government to identify priorities so that with what is available to us, we can quickly make our people realise their hope for the government they have chosen,” he said.
The president-elect said that for his administration to enjoy relative peace, security, job creation and put infrastructural facilities in place, the power sector was paramount.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Sule, urged Buhari to be just and fair to everyone irrespective of tribe, colour or religion.
“Sir, it is easy; I know it was easy when you were a military leader and what made it easy was justice.
“With justice, you can rule Nigeria well. Justice is the key; irrespective of tribe, religion and race, justice must be done to whosoever deserves it.
“Power can remain in the hands of an infidel if he is just and fair but it will not remain in the hands of a believer if he is unfair and unjust,” he said.
Sule also said injustice was the fundamental cause of crisis all over the world and that the only solution to avert crisis was justice. “The world itself can never be governed by force or by fear nor by power; in the end, what governs is the mind, what conquers is the spirit and what governs the mind and spirit are justice and fair play.
“I have always known you to be a man of justice and I ask you to please continue, don’t change or compromise justice for anything.
“Mr president-elect sir, we know what we have gone through.
“I will ask you not to discriminate against any part of Nigeria but I’ll urge you to do justice to all part of Nigeria, justice that will bring about peace and stability, that will lead to the development of Nigeria.
“I know you believe that one day you will stand before God to give account of everything you have done here on earth.
“I will rather prefer that you disappoint me than to disappoint God, your creator,” he stated.
View Comments (5)
Infidel by who's definitio? Believer of what from whom by where? I am igbo...I belive in God who comes from my village. If your God who can " do all things" chooses to elect his prophet from a distant land.....he can go bullshit with those punks ass neighbor killing neighbor Arabs and jerusalemanian Catholics sodomizing children. Don't get your head wrapped up in religious bullshit which is already the cause of two much misery and wickedness in the family of human beings. The fight for legitimacy and doctrinal superiority is nothing but fraud. Goodness is like salt when it hits your tongue you will differentiate it from baking soda.Fuck religion
Job # 1......to curb corruption and enhance security abolish Nigeria Federal Police and replace with local government police funded by the local community and accountable to the local community for hiring and firing. Give local people the power to set up and have the force they deserve and can afford .
Job # 2...... to enhance unity, pass law requiring every state civil service to constitute 30% of its employees with indigenes fom the rest of Nigeria of which 10% must be executive. Imagine what will happen to Unity if Enugu state head of service is an excellent indegene of Yobe etc. In the US if you are from Arkansas but resident in California you will be eligible to apply for any civil service job in California. Why not try in Nigeria something that already works elsewhere?
He has done it before and God will help him do better.
Do you mean that all the past Nigerian leaders.....the Alhajis who " pray 5 times a day" , the Church going Jonathans and Ogun worshiping Obasanjos were deceiving us with their false religious zeal? How do we know if the same God who " deserted" all those past leaders will not desert Buhari also? All we want is the rule of law and adherence to the Constitution. He can practice his godhed or religion when he retires at night with his Salamatu or Ladidi
YES,U SAID IT ALL