President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday recounted the ordeals he had to endure to become the country’s number one citizen in 2015.
Buhari revealed these to his guests, who thronged the Presidential Villa, Abuja, to pay him homage on the occasion of the Eid-el-Fitr festivities.
The President who seemingly recounted his life’s journey so far, said beyond his political turbulence, his military career was equally fraught with daunting challenges, particularly during the Nigerian Civil War, which lasted between July 6, 1967 and January 15, 1970.
Buhari said looking back at some of the experiences that shaped his life, it spurred him to always advise Nigerians on the need for peaceful co-existence, “since Nigeria was the only country we can collectively call ours.
“Please, in your constituencies emphasise what I said about 30 years ago; we don’t have another country except Nigeria. We may as well remain here and salvage it together; there is nothing else we can do.
“Even those that had gone out are now trying to come back because they are not wanted out there. I wish all the resources they had had been deployed here. It would have been much better. So, thank you very much and please try to persuade your constituencies to work much harder away from individualism and sectionalism.”
He said it remained a mystery to him how the ruling All Progressive Congress won the 2015 general elections going by the challenges he encountered in the past.
While taking a swipe on the opposition, he said if they had managed most of the resources at their disposal while oil sales reached the peak, the country would have been much better.
He said, “It is amazing that we are here today because we tried four times, we ended up three times at the Supreme Court and it’s no joke. I have suffered for this constituency, just like I suffered in the military. I walked from the royal border to virtually everywhere on foot, because every culvert and bridges were blown up; so we had to walk and carry our luggage.
“I think we have invested so much in this country and we will continue to pray that we stay together. And let us develop the necessary confidence, work together as a people; this country is great, let us work together so that we can save a lot more and exploit more of the resources that were abandoned so many years ago.”
While commenting on the governorship ambition of Dr. Kayode Fayemi, one of his cabinet members who recently resigned his appointment to contest in Ekiti State, Buhari said the vacuum left by the minister would be hard to fill.
He said though the political terrain in Nigeria is very unpredictable, he hoped that Fayemi would win the election and lead the state again on the path of sustainable growth.
The President, who addressed his guests who included representatives of Christian and Muslim communities in the Federal Capital Territory as well as political aides, members of the diplomatic corps, cabinet members and security chiefs, among others, further said, “I am very impressed with the turn-out of guests this year. Maybe I have forgotten but this year’s turn-out is much more impressive. This opposition leader (referring to Senator Philip Aduda representing FCT in the Upper Legislative Chambers), maybe next election we will try and abduct him from his party. He seems to be enjoying so much at the Senate that he seems to be putting on weight by the day.
“I am very pleased that we are working very hard collectively as Nigerians and that God in His infinite mercy, who knows what is in the heart and not by mouth, will continue to guide us so that we accommodate each other at all times.
“This country is blessed by human and material resources. Here, I have to digress and wish my former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode
Continuing, the President said, “But from the days of mining of tin, columbite, coal and so on, you know this country is blessed. Throughout the country, we have solid minerals and I am hoping that Fayemi will succeed to lead again his state. I believe he is a very hardworking person, very patriotic but Nigerian politics is virtually unpredictable.
“We are going to work very hard to fill his space in the Executive Council so that we keep on exploiting more and more of our solid minerals and less politicising of our petroleum resources.
“What we realised between 1999 and 2013, as I have always said, we have never realised it. It’s on record that we were producing 2.2 million barrels per day on the average, at the cost of $100 per barrel. It went up to $143 per barrel and then I think it stabilized between $80 and $90, Nigeria has never received so much money and we thank God that we have survived the crisis in no time.
“I am very grateful to the ministers and church leadership that came to say happy Eid-El-Fitr to those of us that have been fasting. A lot of people advised me that on health grounds, I can default; I refused because I know the value in fasting, I cannot miss it once, I can do it.
“Last year, I didn’t fast because I was on health vacation but this year I have done it and I thank God because it has helped me to be much more healthier to give me the time that I need to attend to national issues.”
