Buhari rues 2020, promises better days ahead for Nigerians

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said the Year 2020 was the most strenuous year for him, with so many challenges.

He stated this in his 2021 New Year Broadcast to the nation, adding that 2020 came with many economic and security challenges.

He however, promised that his administration would face the existing challenges head-on, to renew the hopes of citizens in the New Year 2021.

The president acknowledged the difficulties Nigeria and Nigerians faced in the year 2020 and said his administration will put a lot of measures on ground to see sweeping changes in all areas including the economy, security, and all round development.

He said, “We especially thank God because the year 2020 was one of the most trying years since our existence as a nation.

“This can also be said about all other nations around the world, due to the challenges posed on our collective humanity by the novel COVID-19 pandemic.

“While acknowledging that 2020 was a very tough year, we saw this year put to test our national resilience and ability to survive these tough times and also gave renewed hope that we will again brave any storms that lay ahead in 2021 and beyond.

“As we celebrate the opportunity before us in this New Year 2021, we must also acknowledge the passing away of our brothers and sisters who didn’t make it into this New Year. May their souls rest in perfect peace.”

On security, Buhari said:

“We are going to re-energize and reorganize the security apparatus and personnel of the armed forces and the police with a view to enhance their capacity to engage, push back and dismantle the operations of both internal and external extremists and criminal groups waging war against our communities in some parts of the country.

“In line with the current security challenges, we are facing as a nation, I would like to reiterate the promise I made recently when over 300 of our boys abducted from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara were successfully rescued by our security operatives.

“The professionalism shown by our Security Forces and the collaboration from all stakeholders across both State and Federal Governments that led to the successful rescue of the boys is proof that Nigeria has the internal capacity to decisively deal with terror attacks on our citizens.

“However, we recognize that we rapidly have to move to a more proactive and preemptive posture to ensure that these sorts of traumatic incidents do not become a norm. Our administration is fully aware of the responsibility we have to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians, and we will not relent in learning and adapting to changing threats to our national security and civic wellbeing.”

The President also promised an improved and revamped economy by taking proactive measures to see that Nigeria comes out of the present economic crisis.

“Our focus is on revamping the economy through the national economic diversification agenda that supports the primary goal of national food self-sufficiency.

Read also: FOR THE RECORD…Full text of President Buhari’s New Year 2021 message to Nigerians

“This has helped reduce the growing food related inflationary figures and have in considerable measure positively impacted our food security status during the long months of the pandemic lock down.

“We are also currently rebuilding our national infrastructure base and, in the process, introducing transformation through the rehabilitation, modernization, and expansion of the railway system, national roads and bridges both in rural and urban centres, alongside the airports and seaports.

“The reforms we have put in place in the power sector would guarantee increased efficiency in our drive to significantly expand the generation and distribution of electricity for use in homes and factories.”

“As an administration, we are currently undertaking a series of special interventions designed to boost job creation and support the entrepreneurial drive of our youths.

“With the recent opening of our borders, we expect that the pent-up demand of legitimate cross-border and international trade will boost the fortunes of the many small businesses and agricultural enterprises that depend on Nigeria’s trade and commerce.”

Buhari also touched on the fight against corruption which he says is one of his administration’s key agendas.

“On the anti-corruption drive of our administration, we have recorded substantial gains so far and this year, we are committed to continuing along the path of eradicating corruption, through collaboration with all the arms of government to effectively prosecute this fight.

“While we would be working with the legislature to enact laws that would strengthen this fight, we would also be looking at reviewing some of our laws which would ensure that this fight is more effective.

“On the part of the executive, we would ensure the diligent and timely prosecution of corruption cases, while appealing to the judiciary to ensure that corruption cases are dispensed with expeditiously”.

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