I did my best but I accepts accolades, criticism
Admin l Saturday, December 31, 2022
ABUJA, Nigeria – President Muhammadu Buhari today vowed that his government will employ the full force of law in dealing with politicians and all those who would allow themselves to be used to disrupt the 2023 general election.
Buhari who was addressing Nigerians in his New Year message said his administration’s landmark Amended Electoral Act will ensure that there is free and fair elections across the Nation but that Nigerians must also take responsibility to ensure that they participate in ensuring that the 2023 elections are free and fair by not engaging in anti-state activities and other criminal acts that may affect the run of the polls.
“We must also resist every attempt to be used by politicians to create unrest in any form to disrupt the elections. We, as government will ensure such activities are met with the full force of the law”, he said.
He described the year 2023 as an important year for the country. “We must ensure that we have another smooth transition of government, to whomever the people have chosen”
He called on Nigerians to continue to assist the armed forces by providing much needed community intelligence.
“It is our collective responsibility to ensure that Nigeria remains safe and peaceful for us all. Therefore, we have a duty and obligation to support our troops and intelligence agencies by being alert and reporting anything suspicious”, he said, adding that the fight against insurgency in the North East region has recorded very clear wins in the past year.
According to him, the Federal Government, and the Borno State government, have started the journey of returning internally displaced persons to their homes earlier taken by the insurgents.
“Furthermore, over 82,000 insurgents with their families have surrendered to the Nigerian military. A number of surrendered insurgents are currently being processed by the rehabilitation (Operation Safe Corridor) program. The fight against banditry, kidnapping and other crimes in the North West and other regions is strong and unrelenting and showing very clear results.
“One of which is the resumption of Train Service along the Kaduna to Abuja corridor”, the president said.
He said his administration took heed and instituted the ongoing police reform program based on a new Presidential Vision for Policing in Nigeria following the EndSARS protest.
“This new vision is framed in a clear road map that transcends the tenure of this administration and it is predicated on six principles:. Building Trust and Legitimacy; Leadership, Accountability and Oversight; Technology and Digital Media; Community Policing and Crime Reduction; Officers Training and Education; Funding, Officers’ Welfare, Wellness and Safety.
“This reform program is very much in its foundation phase but has recorded noteworthy successes in improving police welfare and their emoluments. Other gains have been the ongoing training of 500 police cadet trainers to enable a better training regimen for the 2022 first batch of the 10,000 new cadets with an additional 10,000 set for 2023.
“ In support of these reforms has been the provisioning of new material for the Nigeria Police to steadily improve on its constitutional responsibility to enforce law and order, protect lives and property as well as keep street level peace and security”, Buhari said.
Ahead of 2023, he said his government is focused on building on our GDP and sustain the huge surge in the non-oil GDP growth.
“As we welcome the New Year, let us look with hope to 2023, a year to move forward as a Nation towards unity, progress and prosperity.
“ I offer my own personal felicitations as your outgoing President, mindful of the various opinions and interpretations of our executive legacies. I welcome and accept both the accolades and criticisms in equal measure, secure in the conviction that I did my best to serve our dear country Nigeria and I pray that the incoming President will also pick up the baton and continue the long race to make Nigeria one of the leading countries of the world by the end of this century”, he said.
