The
Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu
Buhari (rtd.), on Wednesday said that though Nigeria is a rich nation, its
people are extremely poor due to bad governance. He promised to involve serving and retired military generals to devise an effective strategy
to crush insurgency in the country, if elected as President in 2015.
Buhari, in
his Christmas goodwill message signed by the Director of Communications, Buhari
Campaign Organisation, Mr. Dele Alake, expressed displeasure at the security
challenges in the country and the poor state of Nigerian roads.
He said his
administration would focus on how best to “make the condition of living of the
common man the index for the assessment of our policies and not
the amount of billionaires our administration would have made.”
Buhari
felicitated with Christians in the country as they celebrated Christmas,
assuring Nigerians that they would have better reasons to celebrate the
festival if he is elected in 2015.
He said, “On
my part, I intend to initiate consultations with serving generals and those who
have served our country and distinguished themselves on the battlefield across
the world to work out an alternative and effective
strategy to crush this insurgency within the shortest possible time if elected president on
February 14, 2015.
“I have said
that I live the life of a pensioner. I share the burden and anxiety of majority
of our poor, powerless people. I have offered myself on the platform of the All
Progressives Congress, the party of change, because I desire to give back to a
country that clothed, fed and trained me to be what I am today. Our people are
poor. But our country is rich.”
The former
Head of State, who berated the President Goodluck Jonathan administration over
rising poverty in the country, said, “In a nation where a few individuals could
raise N21bn because they wanted to make their friend President, millions of
citizens, who truly own the resources being accumulated by a few, are left to
suffer in sorrow, tears and blood.
Buhari said while
many Nigerians travelling towards the eastern part of the country would
encounter “the failed promises of the Second Niger Bridge;” those travelling
through the South-West would “have to bear the gridlock on the Lagos-Ibadan
Expressway.”
He noted that
millions of Nigerians would celebrate the Christmas season in poverty and
misery because “the system of production and distribution of national resources
has been rigged against the vast majority of our people.”
He said, “We
promise that, by Christmas 2015, our administration would have brought out
efficiency in management and allocation of public resources to make the
inter-state roads smoother and easier to ride.
“Christmas is
a season when we all embark on journeys to join our brothers and sisters in our
native towns to hold town hall meetings, inaugurate community projects and
exercise our cultural rights.
“This year’s
celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ symbolises peace, love and
togetherness to mankind. It reminds us, once again, of the exemplary life of
Jesus Christ and the ordinary yet spectacular circumstances of His birth. His
life enjoins all of us to follow his path by offering to sacrifice our selfish
desires for the good of our country and mankind in general. This event,
however, is taking place at a period of serious security challenges across the
length and breadth of our dear country.
“The right to
life, guaranteed by our constitution, is under savage assault. The stories of
murder in the print and electronic media make you shiver to
the bones. The daredevilry of the Godless Boko Haram, which penetrated battle
lines in the North-East to commit suicidal blasts in the north central capital
cities of Bauchi and Gombe, demonstrates the crucial need to review the military strategy of our defence forces.”
Buhari also
promised to initiate policies that would ensure the empowerment of the masses,
adding that his presidential ambition was borne out of the need to alleviate
poverty and establish a system where the rule of law prevails.
He added,
“Certainly, there will be changes in policies. We cannot continue to enslave
our country to those who tell us that we are in economic crises because of loans.”
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