'Leave Nigeria if you have another country,' President says

dimeji akinloye

November 1, 2016 10:17 PM

Buhari said his administration is determined to make Nigeria work, assuring that he will fulfil his campaign promises.

Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari speaks during German President Joachim Gauck's visit to the State House in Abuja, Nigeria February 11, 2016. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde/File Photo

President

The President said this on Tuesday, November 1 while addressing Niger Delta stakeholders at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

"We are determined to make life comfortable and affordable to all Nigerians. If anybody has a country to go to, let him go, we will stay here and salvage our country,” Buhari was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu.

It said the President told the Niger Delta leaders that bringing peace to the region is dependent on their commitment to nation building.

He reaffirmed the determination of his administration to ensure its key campaign promises of securing the country, fighting corruption and creating jobs through the improvement of the economy are fulfilled.

He expressed the determination of his administration to stay focused on its key campaign promises of securing the country, fighting corruption and creating jobs through the improvement of the economy.

He said peace, security, investment and prosperity are linked together, adding that "if we give peace a chance, investors will come here to invest. Nobody will invest in an insecure environment."

Buhari said the problems his administration found on the ground were many, as illustrated in the collapse of oil prices, the inability of 27 of the 36 states to pay salaries, the absence of savings to fall back on and having to deal with an elite who didn’t seem to care.

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According to him, all these problems made his government conclude that "life as usual is no longer affordable."

The President added that the government will look into the 16-point request presented for negotiation by the Niger Delta leaders, in which they demanded oil blocks, award of contracts to indigenes of the region, among others.

dimeji akinloye