TheCable

The Progressive Yoruba Youth Council (PYYC) has lauded the President Muhammadu Buhrai government for building “strong economic and security teams” to reclaim the nation’s lost glory.

The group said the economy and security sectors are making tremendous progress under the current administration.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Desmond Abiona, president of the group, affirmed that the security and economic sectors have no doubt rejuvenated under the “progressive administration of Buhari.”

PYYC also acknowledged the struggles of the Nigerian army to give the nation peace and security.

His text below:

There is no doubt that Nigeria has experienced the good, the bad and the ugly in the last four years. We have battled worsening development and security challenges to a standstill, despite its ceaseless confrontations of the progress, prosperity and peace of Nigeria.

We thank most profoundly, the national leader of our country, President Muhammadu Buhari for his demonstrated and unshakeable resolve to propel this great nation to unimaginable heights and to the promise land in the #NextLevel.

PYYC recalls repulsively, the economic status of Nigeria when President Buhari mounted the seat as the country’s democratic leader. A selfish and unfocused leadership dragged the economy into recession; at a time, crude oil prices had slumped to as low as $28 per barrel; depleted foreign reserves; emptied Sovereign Wealth Fund, collapsed companies and industries, acute shortage of national power supply, pervasive corruption and serious infrastructural deficit stared us in the face.

Nigerians also faced the nightmare of tons of piled debts, running into trillions of naira, ranging from unpaid local contractual obligations; accumulated months of unpaid salaries and allowances of federal public servants; just like workers and pensioners were owed for moths in 27 out of 36 states of the federation.

On security, Boko Haram terrorism had overwhelmed the Northeast and most parts of Northern Nigeria in gruesome killings, abductions, arsons and other horrendous crimes against humanity. And in the Northwest, armed bandits crowned themselves unchallenged landlords, in mass killings and sacking of whole villages. They imposed restrictions on the social and commercial lives of inhabitants in Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina states among others.

And loud echoes of ethno-religious violence persistently resonated in Kaduna and Plateau states; while herders/farmers conflagrations blighted the serenity and peace of most North central states.

In the Niger Delta, very bitter militancy disrupted crude oil explorations, affecting Nigeria’s daily quota of exportable crude oil, which dropped from 2.3 million barrels a day to 1.1 million barrels a day. Militants economic sabotage heightened tension in the region and the constant blowing up of oil installations or facilities and kidnap of foreign oil workers for ransom aggravated insecurity in the region.

The anxiety of Nigerian aggravated with the bile and violent secession campaigns, especially as spearheaded by Nnamdi Kanu’s IPOB in the Southeast. The sect’s killings, kidnappings and sophisticated armed robbery attacks on innocent and law-abiding citizens and looting of the people intensified the complexity of the multiple insecurity challenges, which simultaneously confronted the government of President Buhari in 2015.

These were the motivations which compelled Nigerians to yearn for a radical change in the leadership of Nigeria with President Buhari as the Chief Pilot to address the sundry issues of the nation’s regression. And in the last four years, Buhari has etched his name in gold in the psyche of Nigerians as a committed, patriotic and result-oriented leader.

President Buhari’s first move was to scrutinize the appointees he inherited; relieved incompetent hands and retained those whose proficiency and commitment qualified them to operate under the new administration as well as recruited fresh hands.

Nigerians favoured to work with the “change,” government ostensibly belonged to the clan of “competent leadership.” And majority of them have proven their mettle as dependable allies in the remaking of Nigeria in the sectors they manned.

It is evident in our economic recovery and the spirited war the Security Chiefs launched on all forms of criminalities against Nigeria. The success recorded against Boko Haram insurgency and other insurgencies are ample testimonies of the efficacy of these appointees.

The feat of pulling back Nigeria from recession and the amazing sustenance of the economic recovery which has exited previous problems inherited by the Buhari Presidency yields to our reasoning. The amplified investment in capital projects across Nigeria, restocking of Nigeria’s foreign reserves and Sovereign Wealth Fund, clearing of inherited oil subsidy claims, boost in power generation from 2,300 megawatts of national grid to 7,100 by end of 2018, bailout funds and Paris Club refund to salary indebted states, funding of Social Investment Programmes for job creation and poverty alleviation and so forth are undeniable evidence of an economy freed from the shackles of recession and steadily cruising on the lane of prosperity.

As the train of the #NextLevel kicks off in a week’s time with inauguration of President Buhari for a second term, Nigerians expect nothing than for Buhari to sustain and upgrade where possible, members of this clan of “competent leadership.” 17. In this regard, PYYC, which has dubbed itself as the new clan or ethnic origin in Nigeria, called “Competent Leadership,” is not only impressed, but buoyed by the realities to glowingly applaud President Buhari for the reappointment of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Mr. Godwin Emefiele.

We have seen Emefiele’s excellent performance in reworking a battered Nigerian economy, which has repositioned it on the path of rapid progress. His reemergence as CBN boss by every standard of appraisal reflects the competence rooted in his verifiable, credible and visible performance, which expresses the Buhari proclivity.

Similarly, PYYC is contented to state without fear of contradiction or favour that after a painstaking and meticulous investigations on the security challenges in Nigeria from 2015 to date, we came to the inevitable and honest conclusion that the current team of Security Chiefs assembled by President Buhari as soon as he assumed office are very competent.

The Security Chiefs stampeded with security challenges have not only exuded competence in tackling the activated insecurity prevailing in Nigeria now, but have demonstrated in strategies’ and tactics as officers who are abreast with the nitty-gritty of fighting insurgencies and insurrections.

We are impressed that despite the gang-up by unpatriotic politicians to make Nigeria ungovernable through the instigation of the current spate of crises, violence, mindless killings and other atrocities, the Security Chiefs have not only exhibited courage and determination, but are effectively countering the fresh monsters of insecurity to the disappointment of Nigeria’s adversaries.

PYYC is appalled at the level of unpatriotic acts perpetrated by these unjustifiably disgruntled politicians against their own country. We were shocked to the morrow upon discovery of the level of illicit arms and ammunitions smuggled into the country before the 2019 general elections.

This group also discovered in the course of our investigations that politicians recruit thugs, purchase arms and ammunitions for them to prosecute the odd job of intimidating, attacking and assassination of political opponents and snatching of ballot boxes on Election Day to corner victories through the barrel of the gun. It is the palpable fear of electoral violence that prompted the abrupt initial postponement of the February 16, 2019 presidential and national assembly elections in the country.

It is evident from the quantum of arms and ammunitions intercepted by security agents, especially in 2018, the year preceding the general elections, that much could have also escaped the prying eyes of law enforcement agents into circulation. For instance, in the year 2018 alone, security agents intercepted frightening cache of arms at different locations in Nigeria, which flooded Nigeria through both land and sea ports.

These are not phantom claims; but genuine and a few examples will illustrate it better. In June 2018, the The Nigeria Army seized trucks loaded with 300,000 cartridges for pump-action rifles which were being ferried through Ogun state. In the same year, Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) also intercepted 440 guns, imported from Turkey, which landed at Tin Can Island Port; while customs officials in Port Harcourt, confiscated a shipment of amazing number of military uniforms and T-shirts.

Mid-2018, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) alarmed by the proliferation of arms in circulation issued a directive to all police commands in the country and Abuja to mop up illegal arms and ammunitions, with a 21-day ultimatum. That is the gravity of the situation. Also, the United States Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission, David Young, in Nigeria expressed concerns over the amount of illegal arms in circulation and feared, it could escalate violence in the 2019 general election.

While these politicians were held tightly during the general elections and could not exercise the might of winning the elections through the barrel of the gun, they have resorted in instigating their armed thugs in possession of these weapons to violence and killings in the post-election era. The intentions is erase, cancel or taint the imposing records of the Buhari Presidency on security.

And to stretch the bargain beyond tolerable limits, these gang of failed politicians have not spared security agencies either. These politicians now sponsor campaigns of calumny against the security agencies, despite the milestones being achieved by the administration in security to demean particularly, Security Chiefs as unproductive.

PYYC cannot be blindfolded into support of the destroyers and sabs of Nigeria. We know majority of the masterminds of resurgent violence and killings as looters and plunderers in the last regime, who are disfavored by the policies of the incumbent government and sought to wrest power, in the last elections, but were rejected by the masses of Nigeria.

These politicians are members of leading political parties in Nigeria and have resorted to conspire and work with foreign interests to destabilize the nation with violence and killings. The recent outbursts by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the drastic upsurge in the campaign of calumny against the Buhari Presidency bears semblance.

But despite all these destructive efforts, the Security Chiefs are undaunted and putting their very best to curtail and decimate all these security conspiracies that would have snowballed into absolute breakdown of law and order in the country by now.

We praise their tireless efforts and sacrifices . And having reviewed these developments, PYYC is encouraged to pass a vote of confidence on all the Security Chiefs for their wonderful performances in curbing insecurity. We implore them neither to be weakened nor distracted by the security gang-up against Nigeria, but rather, sustain the fighting spirit to shame enemies of our country.