PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has said that the Nigerian economy and security are now better than what he met in 2015.
Buhari stated this while addressing reporters after observing the Eid-il-Fitri prayers at the State House in Abuja on Thursday.
He said his administration would use all available resources and manpower in dealing with bandits to ensure that farmers returned to their farms and boost food security for the country and for export.
“The law enforcement agencies are working hard to regain confidence against bandits so that we can go back to the land. This is very important,” he said.
“This is what the agencies are busy doing right now. We want people to go back to the land so that we can get enough food for the country and even export.
“With the resources and manpower available to us, we are working very hard. We are hoping Nigerians will understand the problem. Nigerians know at what stage we came in 2015, what state we are today both on security and the economy and we are doing our best.”
READ ALSO: Ndume replies southern governors, says Nigeria’s problem not open grazing
He commended the National Assembly for its support, saying, “it is cooperating very well. Within the resources available, they are certainly giving us priority on our (military) requests.”
He pleaded with the country’s elite to show understanding as his administration was working hard with available resources at its disposal to address insecurity in the country.
He said the military were making efforts to tackle the situation, but it would take a ‘very long process’ to achieve the desired results. The elite, he said, should make the attempt to understand the military.
“If we order weapons and armored vehicles, it takes time for the manufacturers.
“It takes time to ship them, and when brought here eventually, they are taken to training institutions, train the trainers before sending them to the field. This is a very long process. I expect Nigerians to be more understanding on the issues involved, looking at the time and available resources.
“For example, when we came in, in the Northeast, ask people in Adamawa and Borno States and the South-South in terms of security.
“Without security, you can’t do anything. Our big surprise and disappointment is what is happening in the North-West and we are dealing with it,” he said.
Boko Haram has taken over 23 local governments in Nigeria, according to military sources. This was not this bad before 2015 despite that the terrorists held some villages in the country then.
Kidnapping and farmer-heeder crisis have upset the country’s economy and sociognomy under Buhari-.
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor Godwin Emefiele had, in March, attributed the rising inflation in the country to devaluation of the naira and security crisis. The Nigerian economy has survived recession twice since Buhari took over in 2015.
The CBN governor added that in many parts of the country, particularly the food-producing areas, farmers faced frequent attacks by herdsmen and bandits in their farms.
The apex bank’s governor said that while the bank was making significant interventions in the agricultural sector, the rising insecurity was limiting expected outcomes in terms of supply to the markets.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Consumer Price Index (CPI) of March 2020, Nigeria’s inflation rate increased to 18.17 per cent in March 2021, indicating the highest level since January 2017.
The report also revealed that food for the increasing number of poor Nigerians was not getting cheaper as food inflation increased from 21.79 in February to 22.95 percent in March, the highest point since the 2009 data series.
According to the World Poverty Clock, Nigeria has the highest number of poor people globally, with 105 million living in extreme poverty. Also, the country is home to one of the largest unemployment rates globally, with 33.3 percent of its working population out of jobs.
You can reach out to me on Twitter via: vincent_ufuoma