Global and local challenges nothwithstanding, Nigeria has made progress on many fronts, President Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday.
Against the backdrop of insinuations of non-performance and negative narratives on economic development, the President insisted that, through perseverance, his administration lifted the economy from recession waters. The economy, he noted, has enjoyed six quarters of growth after its recovery from recession.
The President spoke at the presentation of the N8.83 trillion 2019 Appropriation to the joint session of the National Assembly in Abuja yesterday.
He was hacked by some lawmakers who he advised to “behave” because the world was “watching us”. But Buhari remained cool and calm as he read his speech.
He said that contrary to the allegation of bias by the opposition in the allocation and implementation of infrastructural projects, no part of the country was neglected in the distribution of capital projects.
“We have done more work with less resources in agriculture, infrastructure and social investments. We have built better understanding between the Federal Government and the states on non-partisan lines, in particular, intervening several times to support states to meet their obligations, including the payment of salaries and pensions.
“Sustained development is difficult, if not impossible, in an atmosphere of insecurity and poor governance. We have therefore made strenuous and successful efforts to overcome the insurgency in the Northeast and to resolve inter-communal misunderstandings elsewhere.
“The last three and a half years have been challenging, both at home and abroad. Commodity prices, both oil and non-oil, have been volatile. Global trends, be it security, trade or politics, have also been unpredictable. Here in Nigeria, we have had to cope with disruptions in oil production and exports, security challenges and devastating floods.
Weathering the storm
“Through hard work, and by the special grace of God, we have weathered these storms and made progress on many fronts which is why we have cause to be optimistic about the future.
“The economy has recovered from recession and we have had six quarters of growth since then.
“The Federal Government and the National Economic Council (NEC) have been working in a unified and patriotic manner to tackle the underlying causes of tension between pastoralists and sedentary farmers. These conflicts have a long-standing history caused mainly by competition for increasingly scarce resources occasioned by rising population and erratic weather conditions – a product of climate change.”
Buhari praised members of the Armed Forces and Security Services “for their courage, sacrifice and patriotism in protecting our collective safety and security”.
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