'Nigeria's integrity needs to be re-established,' President says

dimeji akinloye

April 4, 2016 7:14 PM

The President stressed the urgent need to rebuild Nigeria by re-establishing the country's integrity.

President Muhammadu Buhari.

President

The President stated this in Abuja on Monday, April 4, 2016, when he received the President of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Dr Bernard O. Aliyu at the State House, Abuja.

“Nigeria needs to work on her potentials, so that we don't remain permanently at the level of potentials," Buhari said.

“If Ethiopia is sustained largely by her airline industry, we have greater potentials here. But we must move out, engage with the rest of the world, as we need to re-establish the integrity of this country. We need to rebuild this country again.

"The President recounted that for the greater part of the last 16 years, oil sold above $100 per barrel but expressed regret that the nation did n0t have much to show for it.

“In the First Republic, more enduring infrastructure was built with meagre resources. But in the past 16 years, we made a lot of money without planning for the rainy day.

“We showed a lot of indiscipline in managing our economy, and that is why we are where we are today. But this time round, we'll do our best."

READ: 'We will move Nigeria forward,' Buhari assures Nigerians abroad

In his comment, Dr Aliyu lauded the President his efforts on anti- corruption fight in the country, adding that Nigeria should pay more attention to development of civil aviation, which according to him, is "a catalyst for economic development."

While promising to support the development of the aviation industry in Nigeria, he urged that the country should improve on training and capacity development, aviation security, aerodromes and air navigation, runways, control towers, terminal buildings, among others.

dimeji akinloye