BUHARI: NIGERIA MAKING PROGRESS IN TACKLING SECURITY CHALLENGES

America, and other helicopters on the way, President Buhari said ending the security challenges in Nigeria was only a matter of time.

On how the country was able to mitigate the scourge of the Coronavirus pandemic, of which the Ambassador said the Delta variant was “very virulent,” the Nigerian leader disclosed that a special team was raised by the federal government, which in conjunction with states, educated people on safety methods, “and we are not doing badly vis-a-vis our population.”

According to him, COVID-19 does not discriminate between small and big, rich and poor countries, “so we all have to collaborate and work together.”

President Buhari said leaders have to respect their people, part of which is to obey the term-limit clauses in their constitution.

“I am surprised when people spend the maximum term possible, and then tinker with the constitution, to stay longer.

“In Nigeria, we try to educate our people to appreciate the democratic system. Elections should be safe and secure, with no coercion of any form. People should elect the people they want. That would grow democracy,” he said.

On climate change, President Buhari said the impact had been badly felt in the Lake Chad basin area, with more than 30 million people affected, deprived of access to fishing, farming, animal husbandry, and causing irregular migration and other anti-social acts.

The president then canvassed concerted action on inter-basin water transfer from the Congo Basin to Lake Chad.

In her remarks, Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said about 70 per cent of her work at

the UN centre on Africa and expressed worry about the recent military takeover in Mali and Guinea.

Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has faulted the claim by Buhari at the 76th session of the UNGA, that terrorists have been so weakened in Nigeria that they are now preying on soft targets

The Caucus in a statement issued yesterday by its leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu said it had reviewed Buhari's UNGA address and was depressed that it did not reflect the ugly reality of the failures of his administration, as well as the economic, security, and social ruins that have confronted the nation under his watch.

The lawmakers argued that in reality, insurgents have become so emboldened under Buhari's watch, and are now attacking military formations, kidnapping and killing gallant officers while overrunning communities and murdering citizens without restrain.

The caucus argued that Buhari’s speech is a great disservice to the nation by not presenting the true picture of affairs in the country; the human rights violations, corruption, incompetence in his administration; the excruciating hardship, escalated insecurity, national divisiveness, and infrastructural decay under his watch, thereby blocking avenues for desired intervention in the various ailing sectors.

The Caucus also expressed shock over claims in the speech that his administration built isolation centres and emergency hospital wards, all over the country, in the fight against Covid-19.

The lawmakers opined that the speech lacked definite personal commitments towards a credible electoral process especially as the nation approaches the 2023 general election.

The lawmakers said: "The speech did not reflect on the closure of schools and crippling of education in many parts of our country, where normal life has been destroyed by terrorists, neither did it show any empathy towards the victims of terrorism attacks. Our caucus is worried that in reflecting on violent conflicts, Mr. President’s address conveyed no personal commitments that can guarantee an end to poor and undemocratic governance, human rights abuses, poverty, ignorance, injustice, and inequalities that are prevalent under his watch, even after identifying such as the causes of conflicts.

"Moreover, our caucus is worried that Mr. President’s speech did not portray any decisive roadmap towards economic recovery and food security; had no personal commitment to end corruption in his administration; had no personal commitment to end borrowing or show a clear-cut plan to repay the huge debt being accumulated by his administration."

The Caucus, therefore, urged Buhari to always cross-check the content given to him by his handlers to ensure that his position, especially on the world stage, captures the reality as well as aspiration prevalent in the country.

This, according to the lawmakers, is because such addresses ought to serve as an unblemished working document for interventions and solutions at various levels of governance.

Boko Haram Not Weakened, House Minority Caucus Replies Buhari