Economy will bounce back- buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has saluted
Nigerians for their steadfastness in spite of
the difficult economic times confronting the
country.
He also told Nigerians that the current
economic recession was caused by
cumulative effects of worldwide economic
downturn and failure in the past to plan
and save for difficult times.
Buhari, in his Eid-el-Kabir message to
Nigerians released in Abuja on Sunday,
gave the assurance that his administration
would get the economy right back on track.
According to him, the Federal Government
is “working round the clock” to address the
current hardship the country is going
through.
The President said, “It is impossible to
separate the present from the past to
appreciate the extent to which mistakes of
the past are affecting everyday life today.
“I assure you that this administration is
working round the clock to remove the
hardships the country is going through.”
Buhari said developmental programmes had
been designed to reinvigorate the economy
and to enhance the living standards of the
ordinary people.
These, according to the President, include
rail and road constructions, housing
projects, support for small and medium
scale farmers, youth and women
empowerment programmes and support for
revival of industries.
He added,“We are getting security right. We
are stopping corruption in its tracks and we
will get the economy right by the grace of
God.’’
Buhari enjoined Muslims to live by the
dictates of Islam by maintaining good
relationships with their Christian brothers
and sisters.
He further charged them to maintain the
spirit of the Nigerian nation as patriots.
“The lessons of the Eid are piety and
sacrifice and, my dear brothers and sisters,
you have exhibited these in equal measure.
I wish everyone happy holidays,” he said.
Also, Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto
State on Sunday said in spite of the current
economic challenges, Nigeria would return
to the path of growth and fiscal stability.
This was contained in Tambuwal’s Eid-el-
Kabir message to the people of the state,
issued in Sokoto by his media aide, Mr.
Imam Imam.
He said that there was hope that measures
being put in place by the Federal
Government would yield positive results,
adding that “there is a silver linen in the
horizon.”
Tambuwal said that the reforms instituted
by the All Progressives Congress-led
Federal Government were necessary in order
to halt the drift and commence the journey
to development and self-reliance.
“We may be facing tough challenges now,
but I believe they are just for the short
term.
“Measures put in place by government will
have positive impact in the medium and
long term.
“This administration has shown strong will
to diversify the economy and reduce
reliance on oil. That measure has started
yielding result,” he said.
The governor said that in the state, various
initiatives aimed at mitigating the effect of
the economic downturn had been
implemented, with many people already
responding to government’s call to return
to the farm.
He said, “Our citizens accepted our calls
and incentives to return to the farm, we
expect to have bumper harvests this year,
especially in crops like rice, wheat, onion
and millet.
“This will go a long way in enhancing their
income and at the same time, tackling other
socio-economic challenges confronting
them.”
However, the immediate past Chairman of
the Osun State chapter of the Christian
Association of Nigeria, Rev. Elisha
Ogundiya, has called on the Federal
Government and governors of the 36 states
of the federation to demonstrate sincerity in
their efforts to stir the nation’s economy
out of the current recession.
Ogundiya, who said this in an interview with
one of our correspondents in Osogbo on
Sunday, stressed that the present economic
situation was brought upon the nation by
insincerity and greed of a few leaders.
The ex-CAN chairman said corruption was
a major problem which drove Nigeria into
the bad situation and called on leaders and
followers to shun the ungodly act in order
for the resources of the country to go
round.
The former CAN chairman stated that with
sincerity of purpose and selfless service,
Nigeria would come out of the economic
challenges stronger.
Ogundiya said, “If there is no integrity, we
will still go back to square one. No matter
what they want to do to get out of this
economic situation, there must be sincerity
on their part and Nigerians should also
support the government in the interest of all
of us.
“Whether they want to invest in tourism,
agriculture or any other sector, the Federal
Government and the state governments
must be honest in all their dealings. Their
aides should also be honest. If we are
sincere, this problem won’t last beyond the
necessary time,but with insincerity, we will
continue to sink deeper in it.
“It is good to buy locally made goods but it
is wrong to ban importation when such
products are not produced locally. What is
happening to rice now will not be if we
produce enough rice in Nigeria. Nigerians
will buy locally produced goods if they are
available and importation of such is banned
or there is heavy tariff on them.”
According to him, worsening economic
situation is one of the signs of the end
time, but he said with genuine repentance
from wickedness, God would rescue the
ship of the nation from the brink.