Buhari assures international community of Nigeria’s commitment to democratic principles

President Muhammadu Buhari has reassured the international community of Nigeria’s commitment to strengthen democratic principles and sustain the fight against terrorism and violent crimes.

The president gave the reassurance in Abuja on Sunday in a broadcast to mark his administration’s First Year in office.He expressed the readiness of Nigeria to sustain its partnership in combating cyber crimes, control of communicable diseases and protection of the environment.

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,’’ he said.

The president particularly extended Nigeria’s appreciation to the international community notably France, the U.S., UK and China for their quick response in helping to tackle the recent Ebola outbreak in the West African 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 Programme, 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,’’ he added.

On restructuring of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Buhari said that his administration was committed to the restructuring exercise and the rationalisation of the MDAs for more efficient public service.The reduction in the number of ministries and work on restructuring and rationalisation 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,’’ he said.

According to the president, 30 per cent of the expenditure in this budget was devoted to capital items.
He said the government was projecting non-oil revenues to surpass proceeds from oil.The president further noted that his administration had 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 today has 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.’’

On Chibok girls, Buhari expressed delight over the recent rescue of two of the abducted girls, saying that his administration would continue to do its best towards rescuing the remaining girls and those in Boko Haram’s captivity.

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 agonising 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.’’ Buhari urged.