TheCable

The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations has urged Nigerians to be patient with President Muhammadu Buhari as he aims to fulfill his campaign promises.

Members of the group converged on Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos on Thursday, to drump support for the current administration.

They bore placards and banners with inscriptions such as: ‘Bad Governance, Corruption and Insincerity of Previous Government Brought Recession’; ‘Buhari is Here To Restore Nigeria’s Economy Back To Sustainability’; ‘The Looters of Yesterday Are Regrouping to Stampede Our Nation’s Progress’.

“The economic recession is real. The fall in the value of the naira is real. Inflation that has taken away the purchasing power of Nigerians is real. But these are not the only real things we know in this country,” Adewale Ajayi, a leader of the group, said.

“The looting of public treasury by previous administrations is real. The neglect of critical infrastructures by previous leaders is real. The failure to diversify the economy from being dependent on crude oil is real.

“There are more things that are real as well. Why then would some people ignore these realities, these other realities, and take to the streets to accuse the present government of inflicting hardship on Nigerians? Are they saying that they are not aware that the only reality they see, the economic recession they are lamenting about, might have been averted if the past governments, on behalf of which they are now acting, had been half as sincere as the government of President Muhammadu Buhari?”

Kemi Atanda, another speaker, highlighted some of the policies of the Buhari government, saying the current administration has done well.

“He has embarked on the anti-corruption fight, diversification of the economy, supported made in Nigeria goods,” Atanda said.

“This confidence with which we canvass support for Mr President is evidence based. Even while managing the disaster he inherited from the past government we can already see things turning around.

“His government has not left out the unemployed youth who are now getting monthly stipends of N30,000 while they have been matched with work places where they will acquire skills and experiences for future job. 200,000 youths are part of the first batch while more is to follow.”