President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to religious leaders to keep calming their followers, and carry the message of hope to them that things will improve.
The president made the appeal at a meeting with the Council of Abuja Imams at the State House, Abuja on Thursday.
According to a statement by the president’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari requested the religious leaders across the country “to keep calming the people’’, as government was aware of challenges of life facing the average citizen.
Buhari reassured that leadership at various levels had been trying to solve problems of poverty, unemployment and insecurity bedeviling the country.
Buhari said government had decided to give priority to agriculture so as to create jobs for unemployed citizens and ensure food security in the country.
He said although efforts had begun, there was a bigger plan for the provision of fertilizers, insecticides and land preparations starting next year.
The president requested state governments and community leaders across the country to organize the population into cooperative societies to enable them key into the programme, stressing that “extension services, not money, will be provided.”
He also told the religious leaders about efforts to improve power supply in the country.
He said efforts had reached advanced stage to bring foreign investment from China and some friendly countries that indicated willingness in developing the proposed Mambila and other hydro-electric power projects.
Buhari assured that the steps the government was carefully taking on the crisis situation in the Niger Delta would lead to long term peace and stabilize the region.
On the war against corruption and the Boko Haram terrorism, the president said his government would remain resolute and relentless.
“We have no plan to humiliate or embarrass anyone through these actions. We are merely interested in instituting justice and fairness for all’’, he assured.
He reiterated that whoever was caught as having stolen from the public “will be forced to return the loot to the treasury. The nation needs the money.’’
Chairman of Abuja Council of Imams, Dr. Tajudeen Adigun, commended the efforts of the Buhari administration in the war against corruption and terrorism.
He also drew the president’s attention to problems in the economy, health services, education and unemployment.
