President Muhammadu Buhari has claimed he understands the suffering of Nigerians as they commemorate their nation’s 62nd anniversary of independence.
He did, however, deliver on the majority of the election promises he made to Nigerians when he was elected in 2015 and 2019.
The President who grew sober expressed remorse that this would be his final Independence Day speech as President and expressed his eternal gratitude to Nigerians for electing him to manage the affairs of the country on their behalf, despite many difficulties and setbacks.
Buhari described his administration’s stewardship over the past seven years and vowed that it would not give up on reducing the security concerns that faced Nigeria at the start of his rule, ”newer forms alien to our country began to manifest especially in the areas of kidnappings, molestations/killings of innocent citizens, banditry, all of which are being addressed by our security forces, he said.
He said, ” I share the pains Nigerians are going through and I assure you that your resilience and patience would not be in vain as this administration continues to reposition as well as strengthen the security agencies to enable them to deal with all forms of security challenges”.
In order to help the security agencies overcome security challenges, he said that at the start of his administration in 2015, he provided the funding they needed. This funding was later increased during his second term in 2019, he said.
”We will continue on this path until our efforts yield the desired results.
“I address you today, with a deep sense of gratitude to God and a high level of appreciation to all Nigerians whose tremendous goodwill gave me the opportunity to provide leadership for our great country at one of the trying times in her history.
“Conscious that today’s address would be my last on Independence Day as your President; I speak to the millions of Nigerians, who believed in me, propelled and stood by me in my quest to bequeath a country where all citizens have equal opportunities to achieve their lives desires in a peaceful atmosphere.
“I am honoured to say that my story in the annals of Nigeria’s history is no household secret. My various attempts, failures and eventual success in being elected as a Democratic President in 2015 were made possible by the majority of Nigerians.
“When you elected me, I readily acknowledged that the tasks before me were daunting but surmountable because of the growing national consensus that our chosen route to national development was democracy,” an emotion-laden Buhari stated.
He claimed that the foundation of his brand of democracy was the clear understanding, practical application, and backing of the principles of the separation of powers by an improved and more efficient public service.
I then promised to build the economy, combat corruption, and combat insecurity. This was further bolstered by my resolve to make ending poverty for 100 million Nigerians in ten years the main goal of my second term beginning in 2019.
We have made significant progress in these areas, but we are not yet where we want to be, to the Glory of God and His Grace as well as the dedication and fervour shown by many Nigerian supporters.
