Yemisi Izuora
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has
appreciated the perseverance of Nigerians over the years and support for the
Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Speaking with journalists in Oro, Kwara State, on
the occasion of this year’s Eid-el-Kabir, the Minister assured
Nigerians that their sacrifices toward the emergence of a better
Nigeria will not be in vain.
He, however, appealed to them to remain steadfast and be vigilant,
especially as the 2019 elections approach
”The year 2019 is the year of decision for Nigeria. It is the year
that the critical decision will be made as to whether Nigeria will
continue along the path of development, in all ramifications (social,
economic, political, etc), that this Administration has embarked upon
since 2015, or the country will retrogress and backslide to the throes
of massive and primitive looting and lack of development.
”As we approach this critical fork on the road, I have no iota of
doubt that the good people of Nigeria will choose the path of
development, having seen the commitment, sincerity and patriotism of
this Administration. It is clear, from all indications, that Nigerians
are not going back to Egypt,” Alhaji Mohammed said.
He said because of the support of the people and the achievements of
the Administration, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win, even
with a wider margin, in 2019, thus sealing the fate of the naysayers.
”Many cynics have asked: Why should the APC-led Administration be
returned to power? What has it achieved to justify the votes of
Nigerians? My answer has been consistent: This Administration has done
what no other Administration has done in the history of Nigeria in
putting the country firmly on the path of sustainable growth and
development, especially in the area of infrastructure, economy,
agriculture, the fight against corruption and the battle against
insecurity.
”Never in the history of our country has any Administration embarked
on such a massive infrastructural development as this Administration.
The whole country is one huge construction site. Roads are being
constructed in all the six geo-political zones.
”In the area of agriculture, it has been a huge revolution. Let’s
take one of our national staples, such as rice, as an example. When we
came in, there were 5 million rice farmers. Today, we have in excess
of 11 million rice farmers. Nigeria has never been closer to achieving
self sufficiency in rice.
”This Administration has employed 500,000 unemployed graduates under
its Social Intervention Programme (SIP). No government in our
country’s history has ever done that. This Administration has been
daily feeding 8.5 million school children in 23 states. That has never
been done before in Nigeria. This Administration has been paying
10,000 Naira every two months to over 300,000 families as social
security for the most vulnerable. This has never been done before in
Nigeria,” the Minister said.
He also cited the Administration’s efforts in growing Small and Medium
Enterprises which, he said, are the biggest employers of labour; the
fact that power generation has reached an unprecedented 7,000MW and
the unrelenting fight against corruption.
In the area of security, the Minister said the Administration is
facing the nation’s security challenges with uncommon determination.
”From Benue to Zamfara, the spate of killings has fallen drastically,
though this is not making the kind of headlines made by the killings
that were mostly orchestrated by those who are mortally opposed to the
Administration.
”In closing, I want to appeal to the good people of Nigeria to be
vigilant and not to yield the space to naysayers. The gains of the
past 3 years plus must be preserved. Nigeria must continue on its
present trajectory to sustainable growth and development. Never again
must we go back to ‘Egypt’,” he said.