Tobi Soniyi in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that his administration will not tolerate any acts of banditry and criminality under the guise of herdsmen/farmers clashes.
He said: “Also, on the matter of herdsmen/farmers’ clashes, I wish to state that this Administration will not tolerate or condone acts of banditry and criminality under any guise. As such, our security agencies have been mandated to deal with such acts decisively.”
Buhari said that the security agencies in the country had been mandated to adequately deal with such act as it was capable of truncating the peace of the country.
Clashes between herdsmen and farmed had resulted in many casualties across the country.
The president also said that he was committed to tackling the issues of underdevelopment and neglect in the Niger Delta area.
“This is a priority we have set before us and we intend to make appreciable gains in correcting the ills of the past in the Niger Delta by assuaging inherent grievances,” he added.
Buhari said steps were being taken to rebuild the insurgency-ravaged north-east. He said: “Let me state that this administration has been working assiduously in conjunction with our local and international partners to rebuild damaged communities in the North-East part of our country.”
Buhari said the fight against corruption and recovery of stolen funds would continue.
According to him, billions of Naira from individuals and organizations have been recovered.
He reiterated his pact with Nigerian upon his assumption of office, saying he was still committed to securing the country, improving the economy and fighting corruption.
He said: “You will all recall that on being sworn into office on 29 May 2015, I outlined certain core areas of our national life that require immediate intervention, some of which I would like to reiterate here today. First, we should seek to secure the country, improve the economy and fight corruption. As it is, this is our unfinished business from the past and dates back to the creation of our republic, yet to this day, corruption and poverty remain our main national problems.
“As part of efforts to address the problem of corruption, we have set in motion legal processes to recover whatever we can and bring to justice those who betrayed their trust. Thus far, we have been able to recover billions of naira from indicted companies and individuals. In addition, through the implementation and enforcement of the Treasury Single Account, we have been able to save more for our nation.
“Furthermore, in our fight to end poverty in Nigeria, we have set up social interventions and reliefs for the poor, and already, data is being collated by the Economic Planning Office of the Vice President in conjunction with the World Bank.
“In addition, through our 2016 budget, we intend to stimulate the economy, making it more competitive by focusing on infrastructural development; delivering inclusive growth; and prioritizing the welfare of Nigerians.
“We believe that this budget, while helping industry, commerce and investment to pick up, will as a matter of urgency, address the immediate problems of youth unemployment and the terrible living conditions of the very poor and vulnerable Nigerians”, he said.
Further details later
