PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has observed that the choice facing Nigerians in next year’s election is between making a break from tainted past which he said favoured an opportunistic past and building a new Nigeria, noting that the country needs a stable and people-focused government.
He made that assertion at the presidential villa, Abuja on Sunday while kick-starting his presidential campaign with the launch of the campaign theme made up of his administration’s achievements and plans for the next four years.
He said: “The next four years will be quite significant for our country. Nigeria is faced with a choice to keep building a new Nigeria – making a break from its tainted past which favoured an opportunistic few.
“Our choices will shape us – our economic security and our future prosperity. Nigeria, more than ever before, needs a stable and people-focused government to move the agenda for our country forward.”
While calling on Nigerians to join him “on this journey to the Next Level of a prosperous, strong and stable Nigeria,” he assured that the country was going higher.
He noted that the presidential and National Assembly Elections campaigns have started, he cautioned politicians not to set the country ablaze.
“I am not unmindful of the fact that presidential and National Assembly campaigns start today. I implore candidate to go about peacefully and decently. We have no other country let us not set it ablaze,” he declared.
President Buhari said his administration took an unprecedented step towards creating a fairer and more equitable society by implementing Africa’s biggest social investment programme.
He added: “Through the National Social Investment Programme, we are providing direct support to over 13 million Nigerians who need it by giving relief and assistance to unemployed youth, our children, the weak and vulnerable as well as small and medium businesses.
“But even as we lay the foundation for a stable and prosperous nation, we acknowledge there is still much to do. The next level of effort focuses on job creation across various sectors. From an enlargement of the N-Power programme to investing in technology and creative sector jobs to Agriculture and revolutionising access to credit for entrepreneurs and artisans, there is scope for over 15 million new jobs.
“The march away from a mono-economy must continue with our industrialisation plan coming to fore.
“With specific plans underway to exploit the comparative advantage of the geopolitical zones and different states by developing 6 Industrial Parks and 109 Special Production and Processing Centres (SPPCs) across each senatorial districts, our incremental move away from oil dependence is assured.
On poverty alleviation and going forward, Buhari stated: “We believe that our people who are still in poverty have a direct way out and up through our expanded National Social Investment Programme.
“We believe we can implement the painstaking and comprehensive policy and work we have done to bring an end to the perennial conflict between farmers and herders – a conflict which is heightened by a struggle for land, water and pasture and the effects of climate change and every now and then, opportunistic and cynical manipulation by political actors.
“We are implementing a blend of measures that ensure that justice, order, modernisation and new economic paradigms emerge
“Perhaps our biggest ambition yet is the overhaul of our education sector. Every child counts and simply, whatever it takes to prepare our teachers, curriculum and classrooms to attain the right educational goals that grow our country, will be done.
“We will remodel 10,000 schools every year and retrain our teachers to impart science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics using coding, animation, robotics to re-interpret our curriculum.
“We know that to succeed, moral integrity and conscience must continue to form the dominant character of our nation and its leadership.”
On corruption, he said: “Corruption is an existential threat to Nigeria. Despite the gains we have made in closing the gates, we know that there is still much ground to cover to stop systemic corruption.
“We are committed to deepening the work we started this first term such that the nation’s assets and resources continue to be organised and utilised to do good for the common man.”
In his address at the occasion, the Secretary to Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, observed that the journey of the last three and half years had been tortuous but with the determination of the president, the administration had weathered the storm.
He said the government had laid the foundation for a prosperous Nigeria, adding that it would continue to strengthen institutions to deliver dividends of democracy.
The launch was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, APC state governors, other party chieftains including the wife of the president, Aisha Buhari.
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