President Muhammadu Buhari’s speech Friday to mark the 61st Independence Day of the country has drawn kudos and knocks from different sections of the country.
In a nationwide broadcast the president reeled out achievements of his government, recollect challenges faced by the country and offered hopes for citizens.
While stating that the nation’s food capacity had increased despite the farmer-herder crises that had upset food supply, Buhari blamed some businessmen who he said had been buying and hoarding these essential commodities for profiteering.”
Buhari’s statement confirmed a Daily Trust report on the activities of “middlemen” in mopping up food, thereby causing high prices of food in the country
The broadcast was followed by a military parade at the Eagle Square, Abuja. In attendance were Buhari’s predecessor, Goodluck Jonathan, his wife, Patience; and a former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar.
There was heavy presence of security as all entry points leading to the venue for the ceremony were cordoned off with security personnel drawn from the Nigerian Police, Army, DSS, and NSCDC stationed on guard.
Most participants and top dignitaries who attended the event were subjected to screening at the entry point to the Eagle Square.
Reactions trail president’s speech
Commenting on the president’s broadcast, an Associate Professor of Political-Sociology and Dean Students Affairs at the University of Abuja, Abubakar Kari, said the president’s speech was “quite controversial and debatable.”
According to him, the speech was not any different from previous speeches he had made.
He said, “The president’s claim that his government had performed better than previous governments was too sweeping, I don’t know the parameters he used in arriving at the conclusion.”
Kudos for efforts to tackle high price of food
In his speech, Buhari had said the federal government had made plans to end the “disruptive and unpatriotic hoarding activities,” as well as ensure that food prices were affordable for Nigerians.
“To address this, I am hereby directing the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to rehabilitate the National Food Reserve Agency and also work with security agencies, the Nigerian Commodity Exchange, and the National Assembly to find a lasting solution to these disruptive and unpatriotic hoarding activities,” he stated.
The president revealed that with some water projects, the enhancement of food production would be better in the country.
“To further enhance food production, we have completed several new dams and are in the process of rehabilitating several River Basin Development Authorities to enhance groundwater supply for rainfed agriculture as well as surface water for irrigation agriculture.”
A professor of Finance and Capital Market, Uche Uwaleke, agreed with the presdent on the claims that middle men were responsible for the increasing cost of food in the country.
He said, “It is true that the activities of middlemen contribute to the rising food prices but their impact pales in significance compared to the devastating effect of insecurity in the agric value chain especially in the critical production stage.
“The harmful activities of Unions and all manner of middlemen tend to manifest in the distribution stage. But food items must first be produced before they can be distributed.
“So, where production is hampered because farms have been abandoned and raw materials sources cut off due to insecurity, then not much is produced in the first place,” he said.
The chairman of Abuja branch of the Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CBN), however said the idea of the food banks might not significantly address the problem in a sustainable manner.
“The most effective solution is a total war against bandits and kidnappers and a genuine commitment to resolving the intractable farmers-herders clashes,” he said.
Criticism trails Social Investment Programme
Kari also faulted criticised the Social Investment Programme of the federal government, saying it could not end poverty.
“You don’t alleviate poverty by giving crumbs to the people,” he said.
The president said he had approved an increase in the number of N-Power program beneficiaries from 500,000 to 1,000,000 with the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme being implemented in 35 States and the FCT.
He added that over 103,000 women had been engaged and empowered as cooks under the programme, while about 10 million pupils were being fed across public primary schools in the country.
He also said he had directed an increase in the disbursement of Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme loans to an additional one million beneficiaries laying more emphasis on the smallholding farmers through the farmers Moni program.
On Buhari’s expose on sponsors of secessionists
The president’s statement that his government was ready to arrest and prosecute all persons inciting violence through words or actions also drew a reaaction from Kari.
Saying that his government would continue to work on dialogue based solutions to address legitimate grievances, Buhari said the administration was ready to take decisive actions against secessionist agitators and their sponsors who threaten “our” national security.
Specifically, he mentioned the leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamadi Kanu, and Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo (also known as Sunday Igboho), adding that ongoing investigations being conducted revealed high-profile financiers including one unnamed serving member of the National Assembly.
The university don said the president’s speech was a nail on the coffin for those negotiating the unity of Nigeria, especially the agitators.
“It means he has dismissed suggestions that Nigerians should sit down and negotiate their existence. The allegation is serious; it means the government has made up its mind to go after some people; it means something is about to happen,” he said.
Kari, however, agreed with the president for not mentioning the name of the sponsor.
“The president is right not mentioning names; it should be left for the security agencies,” he added.
Overall, the university don said, the speech was not different from a typical Buhari’s speech because he didn’t say anything new.
He said, “It is type of speech that evokes reaction, although a relatively long speech.
“Leaders have to work their words. There have been so much speeches, promises and statements of commitment. We should transit from raising hope to giving hope. There is nothing on ground to show delivery of hopes.”
PDP blames Buhari for claiming Nigerians experiencing agony of civil war
However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said the admission by the president that Nigerians had faced difficulties similar to the situation of the civil war under his administration vindicated its stand that his government was incompetent, confused and the worst in the history of the country.
The president, while referring to the challenges posed by COVID-19 pandemic, said, “The past eighteen months have been some of the most difficult periods in the history of Nigeria. Since the civil war, I doubt whether we have seen a period of more heightened challenges than what we have witnessed in this period”.
The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, while reacting yesterday said it was a pathetic antithesis for Buhari to attempt to exonerate himself by claiming that no government, since 1999, had done what his administration had done in six years.
According to him, the claim portrays desperation to parry blame for the consequences of the misrule of his administration.
He said, “Rather, what obtains in the public space is that no government has since 1999 brought our nation to her knees on every facet of life like the Buhari administration.
“It is appalling that in his speech, President Buhari had no concrete assurance on how to revamp our economy and how to end acts of terrorism in our country. Instead, the speech, as usual, dwelt on empty claims that have no bearing with the actual situation in the country.
“Such disposition further exposes the insensitivity of the APC towards the plight of millions of Nigerians and confirms that our nation will end in ruins if the APC is allowed to stay in power any moment beyond May 29, 2023,” he added.
Nigeria blessed with patriotic, resilient citizens – Reps minority caucus
The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives said Nigeria is a nation blessed not only with abundant natural resources, but patriotic citizens who remained resilient and committed to nation building despite challenges.
Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu (PDP,Delta) in a statement yesterday called on Nigerians not to give up hope on Nigeria as a result of the hardship brought on them by the “misrule of All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration.”
He lamented that Nigerians in the last six years had been subjected to the worst forms of state-backed injustice, deprivation, suppression, abuse of rights, economic strangulation, electoral manipulations, violence and traumatizing bondage mentality; in violation of the essentials of independence, particularly in a democratic setting.
Kamarudeen Ogundele, Muideen Olaniyi & Balarabe Alkassim (Abuja) & Christiana Alabi (Lagos)
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