Buhari hails support groups

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has commended various support groups working for the progress of his administration, saying posterity will reward their sacrifices for the peace, progress and prosperity of the nation.

He gave the commendable at the presidential villa, Abuja on Friday when he received members of the National Committee of the Buhari Support Group (NCBSG) led by Senator Abu Ibrahim.

Buhari assured them of the judicious use of available national resources for the betterment of all Nigerians.

He said: ”I am grateful for your sacrifices. Your work requires a lot of sacrifices both physical and material.

”I do not think anybody will join this organisation for material reasons.

”What you are doing is for the nation and not for me as an individual. Therefore, there is no way you can lose because what you are doing is for posterity,’’ he said.

Apprising the President of their activities, the group said they would continue to engage in the production of detailed sector-specific documentaries, programmes, policies and achievements of the administration.

In a PowerPoint presentation, the group told the President that they had a massive, diverse, grassroots base, which would strive to mobilise young Nigerians to become drivers of the CHANGE administration’s programmes and achievements.

Speaking to State House corespondents after the meeting, Senator Ibrahim said the president was left with no choice but to contest the 2019 presidential election.

He said: “Well, we came here as members of the national committee of the Buhari support group. This is an amalgamation of about 189 different support groups that had worked for President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC to win the 2015 general election.

“We have been holding meetings, discussing the problems of this country, Nigeria. So, we thought it was high time we meet with the President to intimate him about the activities of the group.

“We discussed with him about the plans to improve the situation in Nigeria. Mr President was very pleased with our programmes.”

Asked whether the group was pressuring Buhari to contest the 2019 Presidential election, Ibrahim said: “Well, that didn’t come up actually. We only discussed the programmes of the organization and problems of the group. But we didn’t go into the 2019 elections.”

He further said: “Yes. Because l believe in his philosophy and l believe he can solve the problems of this nation. He can ensure the progress, stability and prosperity of this nation.”

Also speaking, a member of the group and Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, said it was not enough to help a party win election but also to support the government of the day to succeed.

“You know it is not enough to help in elections like most of us did. It is important that we continue to support the President and his administration across the nation as a group.

“This is what we will continue to do. We will continue to identify with and support all the programmes that this administration has set forward. And l believe that we have every justification to be happy because, the President campaigned on three major pillars of anti- corruption, fighting the insecurity across the country and revitalizing the economy of Nigeria.

“It has been a very, very good journey so far and also we believe that Mr. President and Nigerians have a future beyond 2019. What he has started, by the grace of God, he should be able to complete, up to 2023.”