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President
Muhammadu Buhari Photo: Bayo Omoboriowo
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President
Muhammadu Buhari on Monday delivered a national broadcast to Nigerians. In
the speech, the president spoke on issues like the ongoing fuel scarcity, calls
for restructuring, the electricity situation, among others.
READ THE PRESIDENT’S FULL
SPEECH BELOW…I join my fellow citizens this morning to welcome and celebrate the New Year 2018. This year promises to be pivotal in our quest for CHANGE.
Unfortunately, I am saddened to acknowledge that
for many this Christmas and New Year holidays have been anything but merry and
happy. Instead of showing love, companionship and charity, some of our
compatriots chose this period to inflict severe hardship on us all by creating
unnecessary fuel scarcity across the country.
The consequence was that not many could travel
and the few who did had to pay exorbitant transport fares. This is unacceptable
given that NNPC had taken measures to ensure availability at all depots. I am
determined to get to the root of this collective blackmail of all Nigerians and
ensure that whichever groups are behind this manipulated hardship will be
prevented from doing so again.
Such unpatriotism will not divert the
Administration from the course we have set ourselves. Our government’s watch
word and policy thrust is CHANGE. We must change our way of doing things or we
will stagnate and be left behind in the race to lift our people out of poverty
and into prosperity.
My address to fellow Nigerians this morning is
devoted mainly to informing you about the intense efforts this Administration
is putting to address our country’s huge infrastructural deficit.
We are going to make significant in-roads in
advancing road, rail and power projects across the country.
The Ministry of Power, Works and Housing is one
of the drivers of this Government’s commitment to renew and increase Nigeria’s
stock of infrastructure in order to achieve global economic competitiveness as
targeted under the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan.
With regards to Railways, we have set ourselves
ambitious targets. Already in construction stage is the Lagos-Kano Standard
Gauge Railway.
The line should reach Ibadan from Lagos by the
end of 2019 and will carry two million passengers per year and five million
tons of cargo will be transported every year giving a substantial boost to the
country’s economy.
Construction of the Kano – Kaduna segment is
expected to commence this year and reach Kaduna by the end of 2019. By the end
of 2021 the two ends will be joined so that we will have standard gauge railway
across the main North-South trading route.
The Abuja – Kaduna route will be boosted by
additional rolling stock next Thursday and will be able to handle one million
commuters annually.
At the same time I have approved and negotiations
will be concluded in the first part of this year for the Port Harcourt to
Maiduguri line covering Aba, Owerri, Umuahia, Enugu, Awka, Abakaliki, Makurdi,
Lafia, Jos, Bauchi, Gombe, Yola and Damaturu. The Abuja to Itakpe line will go
through Baro and terminate in Warri with construction of a new seaport at
Warri.
Negotiations are also advanced for the
construction of other railway lines, firstly from Kano to Maradi in Niger
Republic passing through Kazaure, Daura, Katsina, Jibia to Maradi.
Secondly, Lagos to Calabar the “Coastal Rail”
through Ore, Benin, Agbor, Asaba, Onitsha, Sapele, Ughelli, Warri, Yenagoa,
Otuoke, Port Harcourt, Aba, Uyo and Calabar. In the next few years, all these
Nigerian cities will be linked by functional modern rail systems, giving
enormous boost to the social and economic life of our people.
With respect to the Abuja Capital Light Rail,
progress has reached 98% completion, as at 64% completion when we assumed
office. Only test runs remain before start of operations.
This train service will stimulate economic
activities in the Federal Capital and provide residents with an efficient and
safe transportation system. Twelve railway sub-stations around the capital over
a 45.2 kilometre route will serve as a catalyst and a pull factor to the
economy of the area. The Light Rail System will reduce traffic congestion and
carbon emission in line with the Administration’s policy on climate change.
Management of the Federal Road Maintenance Agency
(FERMA) has been reconstituted and has been charged with a 12 week rapid
intervention in road repairs to cover all the geo-political zones. Government
is undertaking repairs and maintenance of 44 roads within the six geo-political
zones.
Twenty five major highways will be funded under
the ₦100b SUKUK facility. Each geo-political zone will benefit by an equal
amount of ₦16.67b. The following major highways are to receive special
attention:
a. Oyo – Ogbomosho,
b. Ofusu – Ore – Ajebandele – Shagamu,
c. Yenagoa Road Junction – Kolo Otuoke – Bayelsa
Palm,
d. Enugu – Port Harcourt Dual Carriage Way,
e. Onitsha – Enugu Expressway,
f. Kaduna Eastern Bypass,
g. Dualization of Kano – Maiduguri Road,
h. Dualization of Abuja – Lokoja – Benin Road,
i. Dualization of Suleja – Minna Road.
In addition, Government has approved work to start on the re-construction of Abuja – Kaduna – Zaria – Kano road which is in a state of disrepair. Work will soon start and is expected to be completed in 2019.
More Nigerians across the country are
experiencing improved power supply to their homes and businesses. However,
power remains a concern to this government because too many people still do not
have regular and reliable supply.
The Payment Assurance Guarantee Scheme which
started in January 2016 has enabled the Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trader to
raise so far ₦701 billion to assure Generation Companies of at least 80%
payment for any power delivered to the national grid.
Consequently, generation has now reached 7,000MW.
On December 8, 2017 the country achieved 5,155MW of power delivered to
consumers, the highest level ever recorded.
Several moribund projects have been revived.
Repairs of Afam Power Station added 110MW in 2017 and another 240MW will be
added this year through a private investment partnership.
Katsina Power Project is now being tested and
producing 10MW of power from wind for the first time in Nigeria. It should be
fully operational this year.
The Zungeru 700MW Hydroelectric Power Project,
stalled by court cases is due for completion in 2019. The transmission and
other requirements to operate the 30MW Gurara Phase 1 Hydroelectric Plant, the
40MW Kashimbilla Hydroelectric Plant and the 215 MW Kaduna Gas/LPG/Diesel Power
Plant will also be completed this year.
A landmark project, Mambilla Hydroelectric Power
Project is at last taking off. This project has been on the drawing Board for
40 years, but now the engineering, procurement and construction contract for
the 3,050MW project has been agreed with a Chinese joint venture Company with a
financing commitment from the government of China. Completion is targeted for
2023.
As I mentioned earlier, the Transmission Company
of Nigeria can now distribute all the 7,000MW that can be generated. TCN and
the Niger Delta Holding Company have added 1,950MVA of 330 down to 132KV
transformer capacity of 10 transmission stations and 2,930MVA of 132 down to
33KV transformer capacity of 42 sub-stations including Ikot Ekpene, Aba,
Alagbon, Ajah, Ejigbo, Funtua and Zaria.
This Administration is working with the privatized
distribution Companies to overcome the continuing challenges of distribution.
These massive public works should spearhead the
recovery and lead millions back to employment. You will recall that it was not
until last year that we got out of the economic recession into which the
country had fallen as a consequence of past unsustainable economic policies
which projected short-term illusory growth.
The government is slowly stabilizing the economy.
It was in order to change the steady and steep
decline that we adopted the more sustainable policies and programmes captured
in the Economic Recovery Plan. Diversification efforts have resulted in
improved output particularly in agriculture and solid minerals sectors. The
relative exchange rate stability has improved manufacturing sector performance.
We have got to get used to discipline and
direction in economic management. The days of business, as usual, are numbered.
Two years ago I appealed to people to go back to
the land. I am highly gratified that agriculture has picked up, contributing to
the government’s effort to restructure the economy. Rice imports will stop this
year. Local rice, fresher and more nutritious will be on our dishes from now
on.
By the same token, I am today appealing to enterprising
Nigerians with ideas and unemployed graduates and other able-bodied and
literate men and women with ideas not to just sit and wait for employment from
the government or the Organized Private Sector. Great nations are built by
enterprising people who turn their hands to anything that circumstances
dictate.
In respect of political developments, I have kept
a close watch on the on-going debate about “Restructuring”. No human law or
edifice is perfect. Whatever structure we develop must periodically be
perfected according to changing circumstances and the country’s socio-economic
developments. We Nigerians can be very impatient and want to improve our
conditions faster than may be possible considering our resources and
capabilities. When all the aggregates of nationwide opinions are considered, my
firm view is that our problems are more to do with process than structure.
We tried the Parliamentary system: we jettisoned
it. Now there are shrill cries for a return to the Parliamentary structure. In
older democracies, these systems took centuries to evolve so we cannot expect a
copied system to fit neatly our purposes. We must give a long period of trial
and improvement before the system we have adopted is anywhere near fit for
purpose.
However, there is a strong case for a closer look
at the cost of government and for the public services long used to
extravagance, waste and corruption to change for the better. I assure you that
government is ever receptive to ideas which will improve governance and contribute
to the country’s peace and stability.
As the electioneering season approaches
politicians must avoid exploiting ethnicity and religion by linking ethnicity
with religion and religion with politics. Such must be avoided at all costs if
we are to live in harmony.
In this respect, the rest of Nigeria could learn
from the South Western States who have successfully internalized religion,
ethnicity and politics.
Political discourse should be conducted with
civility, decorum and in a constitutional manner. We all have a collective
responsibility to strengthen our democracy and entrench the rule of law. We
should draw encouragement from the series of bye-elections conducted by INEC
last year which were generally violence-free and their outcomes adjudged to be
free and fair.
Before I conclude my address I must reassure my
fellow citizens that security of life and property is still top of our
government’s agenda. We have since beaten Boko Haram. Isolated attacks still
occur, but even the best-policed countries cannot prevent determined criminals
from committing terrible acts of terror as we have seen during the past years
in Europe, Asia, Middle East, elsewhere in Africa and in America.
Our government remains determined to protect all
Nigerians in line with our election pledge and promises. On behalf of all
Nigerians let me offer our thanks to the Armed forces, the Police, other
para-military forces and traditional authorities who are working round the
clock to ensure that you and I go about our normal business in reasonable
safety.
Terrorism and urban crimes are world-wide
phenomena and our security forces are continuously adapting their responses to
changing threats.
With regard to rampant cases of kidnappings, we
are taking immediate short-term measures to combat this new evil creeping into
our societies. Tighter police methods and swift and severe punishment for those
proved to be engaged in kidnapping are on the way.
With respect to Niger Delta, Government is still
engaging the responsible leadership of the Communities to help in identifying
and addressing genuine grievances of the region. Our clean-up programme in
collaboration with the United Nations is making satisfactory progress.
I am grateful to all the Governors and other
Political & Community leaders of the Niger Delta States for their part in
bringing relative peace to the areas.
Finally let me again express my heartfelt thanks
to all Nigerians who prayed for me during my illness last year. I feel deeply
humbled by your prayers and good wishes and I am more determined than ever to
serve you to the best of my ability.
Good morning. And I wish
everyone a Happy New Year.
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