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Be fair to me, Buhari appeals to critics

By Terhemba Daka, Abuja
15 January 2021   |   3:31 am
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians, especially the elite, to be fair in their criticism of his administration. He made the appeal, yesterday, in Abuja when he received in audience the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christians Pilgrims Commission, Reverend Yakubu Pam.

President Muhammadu Buhari. PHOTO: TWITTER/NIGERIAGOV

President Muhammadu Buhari has urged Nigerians, especially the elite, to be fair in their criticism of his administration. He made the appeal, yesterday, in Abuja when he received in audience the Executive Secretary, Nigeria Christians Pilgrims Commission, Reverend Yakubu Pam.

President Buhari said: “Those criticising the administration should be fair in terms of reflecting on where we were before we came, where we are now, what resources are available to us and what we have done with the limited resources.

“We had to struggle paying debts, investing in road repairs and rebuilding, to revamp the rail and try to get power. This is what I hope the elite, when they want to criticise, will use to compare notes.”

On the security situation, especially in the Northeast, the President queried: “What was the situation when we came? Try and ask people from Borno or from Adamawa for that matter, and Yobe. What was the condition before we came and what is the condition now? Still, there are problems in Borno and Yobe, there are occasional Boko Haram problems, but they know the difference because a lot of them moved out of their states to Kaduna, Kano and here (in Abuja). We were not spared of the attacks at a time. The government is doing its best and I hope that eventually, our best will be good enough.”

Buhari also assured the nation that the welfare of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is paramount on the agenda of government.

“For the people in IDP camps, the weak, aged, I feel sorry. I feel so, particularly for the young because this is the time they are supposed to get education. We must not allow this time to pass because it will never be regained. So we are really interested in what is happening there and we are doing our best,” the President said.

He commended Pam on his appointment and activities on peace building around the country despite his short time in the saddle, and assured him of the listening ear of government whenever he has contributions to make.

Earlier in his remarks, Pam briefed President Buhari on some of the activities of the commission since he was appointed in July 2020. They include organisation of peace summit on Southern Kaduna as well as peace building efforts in Plateau, Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states.

Pam added that the commission has, among other plans, proposed to host Christian religious leaders in a summit to help douse pressures within the polity.

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