President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday assured Nigerians and the international observers of their safety and full protection before, during and after the polls.
The president, in his broadcast to the nation, said the government will do its best to ensure that the general elections take place in a secure and peaceful atmosphere.
“And as your president and a fellow Nigerian, I ask that you come out and queue to fulfill this important obligation you have to yourselves and your fellow citizens – and to our common future.
“Let me at this point, reaffirm the commitment of the Federal Government to the conduct of free and fair elections in a safe and peaceful atmosphere. Just yesterday, I signed the Peace Accord alongside 72 other presidential candidates.
“I want to assure all Nigerians, the diplomatic community and all foreign election observers of their safety and full protection.
“Any comments or threats of intimidation from any source do not represent the position of the Federal Government of Nigeria,” he said.
“I therefore urge you all, as good Nigerians, to take a personal interest in promoting and maintaining peace in your respective neighbourhoods during the elections.
“This is certainly not a time to allow personal, religious, sectional or party interests to drive us to desperation,” he said.
He appealed to youth in the country not to allow themselves to be used to cause violence and destruction.
“The people who want to incite you are those preparing the ground for discrediting the elections. Having lost the argument, they fear losing the elections.
“When you elected me in 2015, it was essentially in consequence of my promise of change. We committed ourselves to improving security across the country, putting the economy on a sound footing and tackling rampant corruption, which had in many ways become a serious drawback to national development,” he said.
He said the country’s economy has recovered from recession, and that, Nigeria is back on the path of steady growth.
“The key to creating more jobs lies in accelerating this momentum of economic growth. Happily, we have succeeded in making the fundamental changes necessary for this acceleration, and we are now beginning to see the efforts bearing fruit.
“Remarkably, the strong economic performance was driven by the Non-Oil sector, which grew at 2% as at full year. Indeed, Non-Oil growth rose to2.7% in the Fourth Quarter of 2018, up from 2.32% in the Third Quarter,” he said.
Buhari said other indicators that confirmed the economy’s steady recovery, included the decline in food import bill from $664m in January 2015 to $160m as at October 2018.
“Inflation fell from 18.72% in January 2017 to 11.44% in December 2018. Our External Reserves have risen from $23 billion in October 2016 to $43.12 billion as at 7thFebruary 2019,” he said.
He said Executive Orders 5 and 7 issued by him was to address some of the challenges facing the country.
Buhari said there was no country that aspires to greatness, without spending massively on its Critical Infrastructure.
“Rather than the discredited policy of ‘stomach infrastructure’, which could only benefit a few for a little while, we are focused on real infrastructural development for the growth of our economy and the long-term benefit of all Nigerians.
“The choice that now confronts us is whether we want to continue with real infrastructure development, which is the road to prosperity and jobs or return to the era of ‘stomach infrastructure,” he said.
“In making your choice this time, please ask yourself whether, and in what ways, others will do anything different to address the issues of Agriculture, Infrastructure, Security, Good Governance and Fighting Corruption.
“If they are only hoping to do what we are already doing successfully, we are clearly your preferred choice.
“Think carefully and choose wisely. This time, it is a choice about consolidating on growth for Jobs and Prosperity.
“February 16th is all about a choice. But it is more than a choice between APC and the opposition. It is a choice about you, it is a choice between going back or keeping the momentum of change.
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