PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Friday hoped that his former Minister of Solid Minerals and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, does well in next month’s Ekiti State gubernatorial election but has conceded that politics is an unpredictable game.He made the assertion while receiving Federal Capital Territory (FCT) residents led by the Minister, Mohammed Bello, who paid him a Sallah homage at the presidential villa, Abuja.
The president praised the All Progressive Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate for his work in overseeing the sector which he said had been abandoned for a long time.
He said he would work hard to fill the vacancy created by the minister’s exit from the cabinet.
While speaking on how blessed the country is, Buhari said: “This country is blessed in human and material resources. Here I have to digress and wish my former minister of mines and steel, Fayemi, well.
“He has been a very hardworking minister because the ministry he was leading was neglected with the overbearing economic relevance of oil. But from the days of mining of tin, columbite, coal and so on, you know this country is blessed.
“Throughout the country, we have solid minerals and I am hoping that Fayemi will succeed to lead again his state. I believe he is a very hardworking person, very patriotic but Nigerian politics is virtually unpredictable.
“We are going to work very hard to fill his space in the executive council so that we keep on exploiting more and more of our solid minerals and less politicizing of our petroleum resources.”
The president revealed that he insisted on observing the Ramadan fast despite concerns raised by some people over his health.
According to him, while he was unable to observe the 2017 version because of poor health, he insisted on fasting this year because of its benefits.
The president said he did not regret participating in the fast because it has improved his health for the national task ahead.
He added: “A lot of people asked me on health grounds I can default I refused because I know the value in fasting. I cannot miss it once I can do it.
“Last year I didn’t because I was on health vacation but this year I have done it and I thank God because it has helped me to be much healthier to give me the time that I need to attend to national issues.”
President Buhari expressed delight that Nigerians were working together but reiterated that he spent a long time trying to become president at a time he said the country made so much money from crude oil export.
The president stated: “I’m very pleased that we are working very hard collectively as Nigerians and that God in his infinite mercy who knows what is in the heart and not by mouth, will continue to guide us so that we accommodate each other at all times.”
He further said: “What we realized between 1999-2013 as I have always said we have never realized it. It’s on record that we were producing 2.2 million barrels per day on the average, at the cost of $100 per barrel. It went up to $143 per barrel and then I think it stabilized between $80 and $90.
“Nigeria has never received so much money and we thank God that we have survived the crisis in no time.
“It is amazing that we are here because we tried four times, we earned up three times at the Supreme Court and is no joke.
“I have suffered for this constituency just like I suffered in the military. I walked from the Royal border to the virtually on foot, because every culvert and bridge was blown up, so we had to walk and carry our luggage.
“I think we have invested so much in this country and we will continue to pray that we stay together and let us develop the necessary confidence, work together as a people.
“This country is great. Let us work together so that we can save a lot more and exploit more of the resources that were abandoned so many years ago.
“I’m very grateful to the ministers and church leadership that came to say happy Eid-Filtri to those of us that have been fasting.”
He urged the officials present at the event to impress upon their people the need for Nigeria to remain united.
According to him, “Please, in your constituencies emphasized what I said about 30 years ago, we don’t have another country except for Nigeria. We must as well remain here and salvage it together. There is nothing else we can do.
“Even those that had gone out are now trying to come back because they are not wanted out there.
“I wish all the resources they had they had deployed it here. It would have been much better.
“So, thank you very much and please try to persuade your constituencies to work much harder away from individualism and sectionalism.”
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