'With Jonathan, Boko Haram would have taken over Aso Rock' - Presidency

President Muhammadu Buhari spokesman on media and publicity,

Speaking at the weekend during an interactive session with Nigerian youths on the platform of Citizen Support for Good Governance in Nigeria (CSGGN) in Abuja, Shehu said the Boko Haram terrorists would have taken over Aso Rock if former President Goodluck Jonathan was re-elected in 2015.

"We have achieved so much in terms of security," President Buhari's spokesman said.

"There are many people who believe that if not for president Muhammadu Buhari, PDP had continued in this country in 2015 they [Boko Haram] would have taken over Aso Rock by now," he added.

Speaking on the recently recovered loot from former GMD of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation,Andrew Yakubu, Shehu urged Nigerians to the advantage of the whistle-blowing policy to expose high-level corruption and get rewarded.

He said: "On the war against corruption people are stealing money, huge amounts of money, the kind of money that they don't need.

"Look at the one from Kaduna, I was at another event and they said the man's aunt said she wanted food, he said there was no money. Look at the hug amount of money in a neighbourhood that had no electricity, no road, no water, in the same compound, you had low level working Nigerians. They didn't know they resided in a compound billions of Naira was kept from stolen funds.

"The important policy of whistle-blower that the president has instituted, it gives an opportunity to me, you and to every citizen of this country. If you see stolen money going anywhere, you will not only be honoured for pointing it out for discovery but you can earn a commission. About 10 million USD and they give 2.5 of that. That money can change one's life," he added.

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Describing President Buhari as a long distance runner, Shehu urged Nigerians to be patient adding that things will become better soon.

"You can see that exploration and exportation of oil is growing, gas is coming back and power is getting better. So all we require of you is to be patient. President Buhari is a long distance runner, he is not looking for short term gain that people will just clap at him and those advantages just disappear.

"He wants to build a future of prosperity, a future that will be everlasting. Something that will stay for generation upon generation and I assure that this is a beginning of the good things to come," he said.

The president’s spokesman said Nigeria has attained the record of the second largest producer of rice in the world despite the fact that the rice revolution just started a year ago.