…says
all hands must be on deck
The Director of Research and
Production of Ambassadors of Peace and Social Welfare Initiative, Dr. Ahmad
Jibrin Suleiman has commended President Mohammadu Buhari for his strides in the
reshaping of a new Nigeria.
In a statement circulated to both
local and internal media platforms, Dr. Suleiman noted that last month Nigeria
clogged the 59th year of self-rule, adding “years before now some of us have
led the desperate call for change, and later, the movement for a new Nigeria.”
According to him, “the
year 2015 would no doubt go down in the anals of history as marking a new
beginning. The current series of elections provide latest indications of this
journey, a journey that calls for radical change in activism. A lot is happening;
the sand is shifting so fast that the theme of activism now ought to change
from disruptive to supportive tone. This interaction becomes necessary bearing
in mind recent distractive tendencies. The drive for a new Nigeria cannot
succeed with the current pervasive attitude:
“The positive strides in our
national journey has been misjudged and gauged with unfitting indices.
“It is quite a pity that president
that has made the most impactful achievements turn out to be the most abused
leader in our national history.
“Activism now to us, must be
redefined to mean taking away the conversation from primitive, childish and
ignorant story of a Jibrin from Sudan to discussing the positive effects of
border closure, additional linking bridges over the Niger in Asaba and Benue
river in Ibbi. While the successful APC wind moves southern and further we must
also appreciate the wind of a new rail moving northward to Kano from Lagos!
“In short while victories are
being celebrated across Kogi and Bayelsa we want to celebrate on our part the
following milestones:
1. Ease of doing business
2. Buhari has finally broken a
major strangle hold of multi-national oil companies: Finally in U.K. the
president achieved the feat of signing the amended Deep Offshore and Inland
Basin Production Sharing Contract (DOIB PSC). In our perpetual distractive
ways, our attention has been distracted away from the history of this strungle
and significance of the signature. Since March 1999, previous government has
merely attempted to, and yet failed to (if not for selfish reasons) tackle this
affair where Nigeria has continually lost what was estimated to be $62 billion
in the last 11 years. Yet, even this trip was derided by those who see nothing
good in the president.
3. The Nigeria Bureau of
Statistics (NBS) has reported that the importation of oil has reduced by 512
million liters in the last 3 months of border closure.
4. for the first time Nigerian
neighbours have appreciated the practical impact of Nigerian economy through
the border closure (including Rice exporting countries), for the first time we
are rising up to our self-interest.
5. Recently, Professor Bolaji
Owasonoye (the Chairman of ICPC) was said to have declared that the ICPC has
uncovered N12 billion salary fraud in M.D.As
6. When India moved away from a
beggar nation in the sixties, into one of the most innovative and productive
nations, some of us thought it is unachievable but with the current trend,
Nigeria is on its way, and even faster and better (it promises to be if the
tempo is maintained).
7. Even though billions have been
mark for Road Projects but nothing to show in the earlier regimes, Buhari
introduced:
A. Presidential Infrastructural
Development Fund - 81 Roads
B. Sukuk Bounds – 45 Roads
With these, the following Road
Project Construction are on the way:
- Ibbi Bridge/Ibbi to Wukari Road
Construction
- Lagos-Ibadan – Ilorin, - Abuja
– Kano – Katsina, Enugu – Porthacourt, Yenagua – Otouke, Calabar – Katsina Ala etc.
524 Road Constructions”
Comparing Nigeria’s journey so far
with a fellow nation in 2015, Dr Suleiman explained that both leaders took over
(Buhari May, 2015, Macri Argentina December 2015). Macri accepted loan (IMF) of
$50 billion while Buhari refused, hence Argentina devalued while Buhari
declined. Today Argentina currency devalued 566% and inflation up to 54.3%
while Buhari steered Nigeria through without the IMF loan and mere inflation of
about 11% which will definitely come down with the current policies.
He expressed positive view and
optimism that, “ There are a lot of development to appraise and give a thump up to a
new Nigeria, including series of national security challenges we have faced and
over-comed (Boko Haram, Herders/Farmers and current bandits/kidnappers
challenges). It may be long to get there, but now the prospect of a New Nigeria
is certain. However, we must play our roles as citizens, as active followers
not passive onlookers in the destiny of our nation. All hands must be on deck.
This is the new call deserving of the next level toward the New Nigeria”
