President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said Nigerians have not been fair in their assessment of his administration’s performance.
He said, he has performed “extremely well” but failed to get credit for it.
He also accused the country’s elite of not being concerned enough about Nigeria and its numerous issues.
The president said this in Owerri, the Imo state capital, shortly after inaugurating some projects executed by the state Governor, Hope Uzodinma.
He said;“In terms of time and resources, this administration has done extremely well. I have to say it because those who are supposed to say it are not saying it. I don’t know why.”
Adding that, when he assumed office in 2015, many local government areas in Borno and Adamawa states in the North East were controlled by Boko Haram terrorists, but that is no longer the case.
He condemned the past administrations of former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan, Olusegun Obasanjo, for failing to develop the country’s infrastructure despite earning so much from crude oil.
He said; “To be frank with you, I blame the Nigerian elite for not thinking hard about our country.
“Between 1999 and 2015 when we came in, I would like people to check the Central Bank and the NNPC (Nigerian National Petroleum Company), the average production was 2.1 million barrels per day. Nigeria was earning at this time 2.1 million times but look at the state of infrastructure, look at the road…look at the railway, it was virtually killed. Power, we are still struggling.
“But when we came, unfortunately, the militants were unleashed, production went down to half a million bpd.
“Look at the problem in the North-East, check with anybody from Borno or Adamawa, how many local governments were in the hands of the government and how many were in the hands of Boko Haram? Fraudulent people, whoever they are, are fraudulent! But now, go and ask the hard-working governor of Borno State, a very hard-working governor. The Federal Government is in charge now.“
