President Muhammadu Buhari has advised past government officials who are still holding on to the country’s stolen wealth to return them quietly and enjoy peace.
The President said his government will continue to look for the missing monies untiil they are found.
He added that administration is committed to seeing the anti-corruption battle to a logical conclusion.
The President said this on Wednesday while hosting Abuja residents who paid him sallah homage at the State House, Abuja.
“Please tell those with plenty of money which do not belong to them to try and negotiate and return it in peace so that both they and us will be in peace, otherwise, we will continue to look for it,” he said.
President Buhari also told militants who are bombing oil facilities in the Niger Delta that the unity of Nigeria is sacred and will not be negotiated.
The militants had resumed hostilities after a few days respite, demanding more share of oil revenue for the Niger Delta region. Their activities had further crippled oil exports and reducing the country’s external revenue.
The President also recalled former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon’s famous quote that to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done.
Buhari said that after recording significant improvement in the war against Boko Haram insurgents, the government was now trying to get the leaders of the militant groups in the Niger Delta to stop their hostilities as he would ensure the region gets justice according to what the constitution prescribes.
“On security we have made a lot of improvement, on Boko Haram there is improvement. We are now concentrating on the militants to know how many of them in terms of groupings, leadership and plead with them to try and give Nigeria a chance. I assure them that I believe in the saying by Gen. Gowon that to keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done. In those days we never thought of oil, all we were concerned with was one Nigeria. So please pass this to the militants, that one Nigeria is not negotiable and they had better accept. Nigerian constitution is clear as to what they should get and I assure them there will be justice.
The President acknowledged the myriad of socio-economic problems Nigerians are battling with but promised that the Ministry of Agriculture and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) were working together to assist about 13 states produce enough rice to feed the nation.
“I know that there are a lot of problem in the country but is fortunate the minister of agriculture is not here, he is working very hard. The governor or Central Bank is helping him borrowing him money outside the budget so that he can assist states especially those states about 13 of of them can produce rice.
“That programmes good is giving us confidence, is getting the farmers into the field”, he said.
In his remarks, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo, who noted that the Ramadan fasting period had been a season of forgiveness, said the past one year has been tough because of the mess left behind by the Goodluck Jonathan’s administration and that the current government was engaged in some cleaning up which will soon yield result.
He said, “We have had a year that many in our country will say has been a tough one and the reasons are very obvious. We have had many clean up to do, so much of trying to clear the major problems that were left behind by the past administration in particular, the financial mess that we inherited.
“We thank God that things are looking up and that things will be better. There is no question at all that we have been elected and God has helped us to be here at a time like this to be able to do the things that are necessary to place our country on a strong footing and by the grace we will do so”.
The Vice President also used the occasion to pray that the President like the biblical Moses will enjoy strength as he grows older and the tenacity to govern the nation.
“I also want to say short prayer, there is a scripture in the Bible that says as your days are so shall your strength be. That scripture means that as you grow older you will be stronger. The Bible tells us that Moses even at the age of 120 his sight was not dim and his natural force was not diminished. So I pray that you Sir will experience this strength and God will give you the tenacity as He gave Moses. The other meaning of that scripture is that as your days grow so shall your strength be is that no matter the challenges that the day brings, no matter the challenges that the time brings, you will have the wisdom, favour and the strength to be victororious and i pray that it will be so for you and this government”.
The FCT Minister, who presented a Sallah card to the President, assured him that Abuja residents would continue to cooperate with his administration to translate his vision for Nigeria into reality.
Among the prominent persons in the delegation were Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal; CBN governor, Godwin Emefiele; Primate of the Church of Nigerian (Anglican Communion), Nicholas Okoh; Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu; Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadiq Abubakar; National Security Adviser, Babagana Mongunu; Acting Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; Dr. Kabir Adam of the National Mosque, Abuja, among others.
