President Muhammadu Buhari has
addressed the nation in his speech on Democracy Day on May 29, 2016.
The statement was published by the
presidential media aide Femi Adesina.
Read the full speech below:
“My compatriots, It is one year today
since our administration came into office. It has been a year of triumph,
consolidation, pains and achievements. By age, instinct and experience, my
preference is to look forward, to prepare for the challenges that lie ahead and
rededicate the administration to the task of fixing Nigeria. But I believe we
can also learn from the obstacles we have overcome and the progress we made
thus far, to help strengthen the plans that we have in place to put Nigeria
back on the path of progress.
We affirm our belief in democracy as
the form of government that best assures the active participation and actual
benefit of the people. Despite the many years of hardship and disappointment
the people of this nation have proved inherently good, industrious tolerant,
patient and generous. The past years have witnessed huge flows of oil revenues.
From 2010 average oil prices were $100 per barrel. But economic and security
conditions were deteriorating. We campaigned and won the election on the
platform of restoring security, tackling corruption and restructuring the
economy.
On our arrival, the oil price had
collapsed to as low as $30 per barrel and we found nothing had been kept for
the rainy day. Oil prices have been declining since 2014 but due to the neglect
of the past, the country was not equipped to halt the economy from declining.
The infrastructure, notably rail,
power, roads were in a decrepit state. all the four refineries were in a state
of disrepair, the pipelines and depots neglected. Huge debts owed to
contractors and suppliers had accumulated. twenty-seven states could not pay
salaries for months. in the north-east, Boko Haram had captured 14 local
governments, driven the local authorities out, hoisted their flags. Elsewhere,
insecurity was palpable; corruption and impunity were the order of the day. In
short, we inherited a state near collapse. On the economic front, all oil
dependent countries, Nigeria included, have been struggling since the drop in
prices. many oil rich states have had to take tough decisions similar to what
we are doing.
The world, Nigeria included has been
dealing with the effects of three significant and simultaneous global shocks
starting in 2014: A 70% drop in oil prices. Global growth slowdown.
Normalization of monetary policy by the United States federal reserve. Our
problems as a government are like that of a farmer who in a good season
harvests ten bags of produce. The proceeds enable him to get by for rest of the
year. However, this year he could only manage 3 bags from his farm. He must now
think of other ways to make ends meet. From day one, we purposely set out to
correct our condition, to change Nigeria.
We reinforced and galvanized our armed
forces with new leadership and resources. We marshaled our neighbours in a
joint task force to tackle and defeat Boko Haram. By the end of December 2015,
all but pockets and remnants had been routed by our gallant armed forces. Our
immediate focus is for a gradual and safe return of internally displaced
persons in safety and dignity and for the resumption of normalcy in the lives
of people living in these areas.
EFCC was given the freedom to pursue
corrupt officials and the judiciary was alerted on what Nigerians expect of
them in the fight against corruption. On the economy, in particular foreign
exchange and fuel shortages, our plan is to save foreign exchange by fast
tracking repair of the refineries and producing most of our fuel requirements at
home. And by growing more food in Nigeria, mainly rice, wheat and sugar we will
save billions of dollars in foreign exchange and drastically reduce our food
import bill.
We resolved to keep the Naira steady,
as in the past, devaluation had done dreadful harm to the Nigerian economy.
Furthermore, I supported the monetary authority’s decision to ensure alignment
between monetary policy and fiscal policy. We shall keep a close look on how
the recent measures affect the Naira and the economy. But we cannot get away
from the fact that a strong currency is predicated on a strong economy. And a strong
economy pre-supposes an industrial productive base and a steady export market.
The measures we must take, may lead to
hardships. The problems Nigerians have faced over the last year have been many
and varied. But the real challenge for this government has been reconstructing
the spine of the Nigerian state. The last twelve months have been spent
collaborating with all arms of government to revive our institutions so that
they are more efficient and fit for purpose:
That means a bureaucracy better able
to develop and deliver policy That means an independent judiciary, above
suspicion and able to defend citizen’s rights and dispense justice equitably.
That means a legislature that actually
legislates effectively and Above all; that means political parties and
politicians committed to serving the Nigerian people rather than themselves.
These are the pillars of the state on
which democracy can take root and thrive. But only if they are strong and
incorruptible. Accordingly, we are working very hard to introduce some vital
structural reforms in the way we conduct government business and lay a solid
foundation on which we can build enduring change. An important first step has
been to get our housekeeping right. So we have reduced the extravagant spending
of the past. We started boldly with the treasury single account, stopping the
leakages in public expenditure. We then identified forty-three thousand ghost
workers through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information system.
That represents pay packets totalling
N4.2 billion stolen every month. In addition, we will save Twenty-Three
Billion Naira per annum from official travelling and sitting allowances
alone. Furthermore, the efficiency unit will cut costs and eliminate
duplications in ministries and departments. Every little saving helps. The
reduction in the number of ministries and work on restructuring and
rationalization of the MDAs is well underway. When this work is complete we
will have a leaner, more efficient public service that is fit for the purpose
of changing nigeria for the good and for good.
As well as making savings, we have
changed the way public money is spent. In all my years as a public servant, I
have never come across the practice of padding budgets. I am glad to tell you
now we not only have a budget, but more importantly, we have a budget process
that is more transparent, more inclusive and more closely tied to our
development priorities than in the recent past. 30% of the expenditure in this
budget is devoted to capital items.
Furthermore, we are projecting non-oil
revenues to surpass proceeds from oil. Some critics have described the budget
exercise as clumsy. Perhaps. But it was an example of consensus building, which
is integral to democratic government. In the end we resolved our differences.
We have, therefore, delivered
significant milestones on security, corruption and the economy. In respect of
the economy, I would like to directly address you on the very painful but
inevitable decisions we had to make in the last few weeks specifically on the
pump price of fuel and the more flexible exchange rate policy announced by the
central bank. It is even more painful for me that a major producer of crude oil
with four refineries that once exported refined products is today having to
import all of its domestic needs.
This is what corruption and
mismanagement has done to us and that is why we must fight these ills. As part
of the foundation of the new economy we have had to reform how fuel prices had
traditionally been fixed. This step was taken only after protracted
consideration of its pros and cons. After comprehensive investigation my
advisers and I concluded that the mechanism was unsustainable. We are also
engaged in making recoveries of stolen assets some of which are in different
jurisdictions.
The processes of recovery can be
tedious and time consuming, but today I can confirm that thus far: significant
amount of assets have been recovered. A considerable portion of these are at
different stages of recovery. Full details of the status and categories of the
assets will now be published by the Ministry of Information and updated
periodically. When forfeiture formalities are completed these monies will be
credited to the treasury and be openly and transparently used in funding
developmental projects and the public will be informed.
On the Niger Delta, we are committed
to implementing the United Nations Environment Programme report and are
advancing clean-up operations. I believe the way forward is to take a
sustainable approach to address the issues that affect the delta communities.
Re-engineering the amnesty programmes is an example of this. The recent spate
of attacks by militants disrupting oil and power installations will not
distract us from engaging leaders in the region in addressing Niger Delta
problems. If the militants and vandals are testing our resolve, they are much
mistaken. We shall apprehend the perpetrators and their sponsors and bring them
to justice. The policy measures and actions taken so far are not to be seen as
some experiment in governance.
We are fully aware that those vested
interests who have held Nigeria back for so long will not give up without a
fight. They will sow divisions, sponsor vile press criticisms at home and
abroad, incite the public in an effort to create chaos rather than relinquish
the vice-like grip they have held on Nigeria.
The economic misfortune we are
experiencing in the shape of very low oil prices has provided us with an
opportunity to restructure our economy and diversify. We are in the process of
promoting agriculture, livestocks, exploiting our solid mineral resources and
expanding our industrial and manufacturing base. That way, we will import less
and make the social investments necessary to allow us to produce a large and
skilled workforce. Central Bank of Nigeria will offer more fiscal incentives
for business that prove capable of manufacturing products that are internationally
competitive.
We remain committed to reforming the
regulatory framework, for investors by improving the ease of doing business in
Nigeria. Meanwhile, the first steps along the path of self-sufficiency in rice,
wheat and sugar – big users of our scarce foreign exchange – have been taken.
The Labour Intensive Farming Enterprise will boost the economy and ensure
inclusive growth in long neglected communities. Special intervention funds
through the Bank of Agriculture will provide targeted support. Concerns remain
about rising cost of foods such as maize, rice, millet, beans and gari. Farmers
tell me that they are worried about the cost of fertilizers, pesticides and the
absence of extension services. The federal and state governments are on the same
page in tackling these hurdles in our efforts at increased food production and
ultimately food security.
I would like to take this opportunity
to express my appreciation for the increasing role that our women are playing
in revitalizing the agricultural sector. Modern farming is still hard and heavy
work and I salute our Nigerian women in sharing this burden. In this respect I
am very pleased to announce that the government will shortly be launching the
national women’s empowerment fund, which I have approved to provide N1.6
billion in micro-finance loans to women across the nation to assist in
rehabilitating the economies of rural communities, particularly those impacted
by the insurgency and conflict.
With respect to solid minerals, the
minister has produced a roadmap where we will work closely with the world bank
and major international investors to ensure through best practices and due diligence
that we choose the right partners. Illegal mining remains a problem and we have
set up a special security team to protect our assets. Special measures will be
in place to protect miners in their work environment. For too long, ours has
been a society that neglects the poor and victimises the weak. A society that
promotes profit and growth over development and freedom.
A society that fails to recognize
that, to quote the distinguished economist Amartya Sen “ poverty is not just
lack of money. It is not having the capability to realize one’s full potential
as a human being.” So, today, I am happy to formally launch, by far the
most ambitious social protection programme in our history. A programme that
both seeks to start the process of lifting many from poverty, while at the same
time creating the opportunity for people to fend for themselves. In this
regard, Five Hundred Billion Naira has been appropriated in the 2016 budget for
social intervention programmes in five key areas.
We are committed to providing job
creation opportunities for five hundred thousand teachers and one hundred
thousand artisans across the nation. 5.5 million children are to be provided
with nutritious meals through our school feeding programme to improve learning
outcomes, as well as enrolment and completion rates. The conditional cash
transfer scheme will provide financial support for up to one million vulnerable
beneficiaries, and complement the enterprise programme – which will target up
to one million market women; four hundred and sixty thousand artisans; and two
hundred thousand agricultural workers, nationwide.
Finally, through the education grant
scheme, we will encourage students studying sciences, technology, engineering
and maths, and lay a foundation for human capital development for the next
generation. I would like to pay a special tribute to our gallant men and women
of the armed forces who are in harm’s way so that the rest of us can live and
go about our business in safety. Their work is almost done. The nation owes
them a debt of gratitude.
Abroad, we want to assure our
neighbours, friends and development partners that Nigeria is firmly committed
to democratic principles. We are ready partners in combating terrorism, cyber
crimes, control of communicable diseases and protection of the environment.
Following on the Paris Agreement, COP 21, we are fully committed to halting and
reversing desertification. Elsewhere, we will intensify efforts to tackle
erosion, ocean surge, flooding and oil spillage which I referred to earlier by
implementing the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report. We are
grateful to the international community notably France, the US, UK and China
for their quick response in helping to tackle the recent Ebola outbreak in our
sub-region. We also acknowledge the humanity shown by the Italian and German
governments in the treatment of boat people, many fleeing from our sub-region
because of lack of economic opportunity. We thank all our partners especially
several countries in the EU.
We appreciate the valuable work that
the UN agencies, particularly UNICEF, ICRC, the World Food Program have been
doing. We must also appreciate the World Bank, the Gates Foundation, the Global
Fund and Educate A Child of Qatar for the excellent work in our health,
education and other sectors.
Fellow citizens let me end on a happy
note. To the delight of all, two of the abducted Chibok girls have regained
their freedom. During the last one year, not a single day passed without my
agonizing about these girls. Our efforts have centred around negotiations to
free them safely from their mindless captors.
We are still pursuing that course.
Their safety is of paramount concern to me and I am sure to most Nigerians. I
am very worried about the conditions those still captured might be in. Today I
re-affirm our commitment to rescuing our girls. We will never stop until we
bring them home safely.
As I said before, no girl should be
put through the brutality of forced marriage and every Nigerian girl has the
right to an education and a life choice. I thank you and appeal to you to
continue supporting the government’s efforts to fix Nigeria.”
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