THE President- elect, General Muhammadu
Buhari yesterday painted a gloomy picture in the
economic development of his administration as he said
that the decline in the revenues due to fall in oil prices
poses a great threat to his administration’s development
agenda.
Gen. Buhari who visited the newly elected Senators and
House of Representatives members who are undergoing
induction course in preparation for the 8th National
Assembly in Abuja also said that the decline in revenue
would affect the reconstruction of devastated areas in
the country as a result of insurgency.
He reminded the elected members of the 8th assembly
of the challenges the nation had been facing which he
also said would continue in the near future.
The challenges according to him include general
insecurity and insurgency that has caused extreme
human hardship and destruction of lives, livelihoods that
would take over a decade to rebuild across most of
North Eastern Nigeria and some parts of North western
Nigeria.
Another threat to his administration according to him
was the devastation and environmental degradation in
the Niger Delta area which he said must be attended to.
Others include, “endemic corruption which has crippled
human and infrastructure development for decades.
Unacceptably poor provision of power supply which has
had a crippling effect on development of small
businesses and indeed the wider economy.
“Deindustrialization for the past three decades leading to
closure of many industries and migration of many to
other African countries. Unacceptably high levels of
unemployment and especially Youth Unemployment
reaching over 40 per cent.”
Besides, Gen. Buhari mentioned high cost of governance
that has been crowding out the nation’s capital and
human development, erosion of public social services
such as infrastructure, health and education as well as
lack of development in the agricultural and solid mineral
sectors as areas that should be aggressively addressed.
While soliciting the support of the lawmakers, the
President-elect said, “The legislature is a critical
component and necessary ingredient of democracy and
good governance. The legislature by nature is inherently
democratic in the sense that all members are equal and
are elected representatives of the Nigerian people.
“As President-elect, I recognize this fact and believe that
legislators carry this heavy burden of representation with
all the seriousness it deserves.
“For a president to be successful in addressing
community development and general welfare of the
various people of the country, he or she would benefit
from working closely and in harmony with the legislative
arm of government.
“I therefore commit myself to working with the
legislature as development partners motivated by the
desire to deliver good governance”.
He commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the
role he played in the sustenance of democratic
institution by accepting election result, saying that
Nigeria was in the threshold of history.
Bemoaning high cost of governance, he said, “First and
foremost, appropriate policies need to be put in place
and such policies may have to be translated into laws.
“Secondly, the oversight functions of the legislature is
critical in ensuring that policies are implemented
effectively and transparently. Therefore, my mission to
bring integrity into governance would better succeed if
complemented with a strong culture of transparent
oversight.
“We need to collaborate on the budget process and
restructuring of the public sector so as to collectively
tackle the menace of high recurrent cost at the expense
of capital and human development.”
“There is an urgent need to contain this high state of
insecurity. All of you are representing various
communities. We need to work together to address the
problem from both its roots and manifestations.
“The strongest mitigating forces at this point are to
redress the power sector deficits, encourage investments
that are job creating and focus on human development
and reconstruction. We also need to deploy efforts in
conflict resolution and peace building in all our
communities.
“I am here today, to invite you to work with the executive
as partners in progress, as champions of good
governance and development and as warriors for
change. Together, we can make this nation great and as a
role model in Africa and other emerging economies and
democracies.”
President of the Senate and Chairman of the National
Assembly, David Mark, who ushered in the President-
elect into the International Conference Centre, in
company of other leaders of the National Assembly,
described the visit as historic.
Noting that it was the first time a President-elect was
considering it worthwhile to address a joint session of
the National Assembly, Mark agreed it was a historic
meeting in the journey of democracy.
For the Speaker, House of Representative and Governor-
elect, Sokoto State, Honourable Aminu W. Tambuwal,
Buhari has extended a hand of fellowship to the
legislature by his personal visit.
Tambuwal however expressed hope that his colleagues
would reciprocate Buhari’s gesture by also extending a
sincere hand of fellowship to the President-elect when
his government fully takes over.
Buhari yesterday painted a gloomy picture in the
economic development of his administration as he said
that the decline in the revenues due to fall in oil prices
poses a great threat to his administration’s development
agenda.
House of Representatives members who are undergoing
induction course in preparation for the 8th National
Assembly in Abuja also said that the decline in revenue
would affect the reconstruction of devastated areas in
the country as a result of insurgency.
He reminded the elected members of the 8th assembly
of the challenges the nation had been facing which he
also said would continue in the near future.
The challenges according to him include general
insecurity and insurgency that has caused extreme
human hardship and destruction of lives, livelihoods that
would take over a decade to rebuild across most of
North Eastern Nigeria and some parts of North western
Nigeria.
Another threat to his administration according to him
was the devastation and environmental degradation in
the Niger Delta area which he said must be attended to.
Others include, “endemic corruption which has crippled
human and infrastructure development for decades.
Unacceptably poor provision of power supply which has
had a crippling effect on development of small
businesses and indeed the wider economy.
“Deindustrialization for the past three decades leading to
closure of many industries and migration of many to
other African countries. Unacceptably high levels of
unemployment and especially Youth Unemployment
reaching over 40 per cent.”
Besides, Gen. Buhari mentioned high cost of governance
that has been crowding out the nation’s capital and
human development, erosion of public social services
such as infrastructure, health and education as well as
lack of development in the agricultural and solid mineral
sectors as areas that should be aggressively addressed.
While soliciting the support of the lawmakers, the
President-elect said, “The legislature is a critical
component and necessary ingredient of democracy and
good governance. The legislature by nature is inherently
democratic in the sense that all members are equal and
are elected representatives of the Nigerian people.
“As President-elect, I recognize this fact and believe that
legislators carry this heavy burden of representation with
all the seriousness it deserves.
“For a president to be successful in addressing
community development and general welfare of the
various people of the country, he or she would benefit
from working closely and in harmony with the legislative
arm of government.
“I therefore commit myself to working with the
legislature as development partners motivated by the
desire to deliver good governance”.
He commended President Goodluck Jonathan for the
role he played in the sustenance of democratic
institution by accepting election result, saying that
Nigeria was in the threshold of history.
Bemoaning high cost of governance, he said, “First and
foremost, appropriate policies need to be put in place
and such policies may have to be translated into laws.
“Secondly, the oversight functions of the legislature is
critical in ensuring that policies are implemented
effectively and transparently. Therefore, my mission to
bring integrity into governance would better succeed if
complemented with a strong culture of transparent
oversight.
“We need to collaborate on the budget process and
restructuring of the public sector so as to collectively
tackle the menace of high recurrent cost at the expense
of capital and human development.”
“There is an urgent need to contain this high state of
insecurity. All of you are representing various
communities. We need to work together to address the
problem from both its roots and manifestations.
“The strongest mitigating forces at this point are to
redress the power sector deficits, encourage investments
that are job creating and focus on human development
and reconstruction. We also need to deploy efforts in
conflict resolution and peace building in all our
communities.
“I am here today, to invite you to work with the executive
as partners in progress, as champions of good
governance and development and as warriors for
change. Together, we can make this nation great and as a
role model in Africa and other emerging economies and
democracies.”
President of the Senate and Chairman of the National
Assembly, David Mark, who ushered in the President-
elect into the International Conference Centre, in
company of other leaders of the National Assembly,
described the visit as historic.
Noting that it was the first time a President-elect was
considering it worthwhile to address a joint session of
the National Assembly, Mark agreed it was a historic
meeting in the journey of democracy.
For the Speaker, House of Representative and Governor-
elect, Sokoto State, Honourable Aminu W. Tambuwal,
Buhari has extended a hand of fellowship to the
legislature by his personal visit.
Tambuwal however expressed hope that his colleagues
would reciprocate Buhari’s gesture by also extending a
sincere hand of fellowship to the President-elect when
his government fully takes over.
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