NOTWITHSTANDING the accusation of inaction against President Muhammadu Buhari- led government, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday reiterated its call to Nigerians for understanding just as the party listed gains of the one-month old administration.

In a chat with journalists in Lagos to mark one month of the APC -led administration, the party’s National Publicity secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, declared that there has been motion and movement contrary to what was being peddled in some quarters.

The APC, according to him, understands and appreciates the concerns of Nigerians as far as the perceived pace of the administration is concerned, especially tackling insecurity, corruption, reviving the economy, providing jobs and generally restoring hope. “Justifiably, the expectations are high and urgent, and the Buhari administration has started addressing them, despite the enormous challenges that it faces, including an empty treasury and an economy that has virtually collapsed.

“While Nigerians are right to demand quick and sustained action in addressing these challenges – and honestly we make no excuses – it is important for us to put things in perspective for a better understanding,” he said.

He stressed that the Buhari-led administration got the handover notes from the former government four days before the inauguration which hampered its efforts to have a clear understanding of the situation on the ground before taking the necessary measures to address it.

“If any disease is not appropriately diagnosed, it cannot be effectively treated. Any government that is truly desirous of bringing about real change will not act hastily and without the necessary understanding of what is on ground.

This is coupled with the delay in getting the much-needed information, which takes time.” Mohammed identified tackling insecurity, as well as fighting terrorism, as one key area in which the administration had hit the ground running.

The President had hardly been sworn into office than he embarked on a shuttle diplomacy to rally Nigeria’s neighbours to act as a common front against the terror group, Boko Haram.

He added:”Buhari travelled to Chad and Niger, and then hosted a summit of the Lake Chad Basin Commission that comprised Cameroon, Chad and Niger, with Benin Republic also invited.

The result is the decision to deploy the Multi National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), with headquarters in N’Djamena, Chad, on July 30 to pep up the fight against Boko Haram.

The government has also rallied the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) to work with Nigeria in battling the Boko Haram insurgency. A joint summit of leaders of both economic blocs is to be held shortly to concretise these efforts that will complement the one by Nigeria and its neighbours.”

“Outside the sub-region, Buhari also travelled to Germany to meet with G7 leaders to present to them a wish list that included getting their support for the battle against Boko Haram. The leaders of the countries affected by the Boko Haram insurgency have compiled their requirements, which are being forwarded to the G7 for appropriate action.

It is also to the credit of the administration that the US has announced a five million-dollar assistance for the fight against the terrorists. Added to the relocation by the Nigerian military of the command centre to Maiduguri, these are no mean achievements.

Only a few weeks back, the country could not enlist the support of any Western nation in the fight against Boko Haram, could not get the military hardware needed to pep up the fight and had to resort to using mercenaries to confront the bandits, even though the country boasts of a military that has been globally acknowledged for helping to restore peace to many countries around the world. The fight against corruption also ranks very high on the list of the administration’s priorities.

This may have informed why the President included it on the wish list he took to Germany during the last G7 summit. Consequently, a number of Western nations have now assured the government of all possible assistance in its efforts to recover the billions of Naira that was spirited away from the public till by public officers who abused their office during the past administration.

On Monday, the President ordered revenue-generating agencies, including the NNPC, FIRS, Customs and NPA, to close all illegal Revenue Accounts and to also remit all funds generated to the Federation Account,” he further stressed. According to Mohammed, “This is a momentous step considering that those illegal accounts are being used to siphon public funds.

Thanks to the painstaking efforts of President Buhari, Nigerians now know that out of 8.1 trillion Naira generated by the NNPC in three years, 3.8 trillion Naira was not remitted to the Federation Account.

Nigerians now know that the cash in the Excess Crude Account has been depleted by two billion dollars without explanation. A panel of four governors has been set up to investigate what happened to the money that was not remitted to the Federation Account.

The rot met by the Buhari Administration is sickening, and the President is working hard to plug all loopholes for siphoning public funds, in addition to recovering looted public funds.”