Obasanjo, Yar'Adua, Jonathan spent all savings on food Says Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he was shocked to learn that from 1999 to 2014, successive governments spent all the savings made from crude oil revenue on food.

President Muhammadu Buhari has said that he was shocked to learn that from 1999 to 2014, successive governments spent all the savings made from crude oil revenue on food.

President Buhari said this at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja on Sunday when the representatives of the Federal Capital Territory paid him a Christmas homage.

President Buhari said it took him a long time to recover from the shock.

"We looked at the left and right. From 1999 to 2014, the crude production was over 2.2 million barrels per day. The average cost per barrel was $100. When we came, it was $37. I think it is now between $40 and $50.

"I asked for savings, there was no savings. I asked what they used the money to buy, they said they bought food and oil. I do not know how long it took me to recover from the shock," Buhari said.

The president regretted that when the country discovered oil, it threw away every other revenue source.

"Some of you will recall either by history or discussion that it was cocoa, palm kernel, cotton, agro-allied industries that we used to build infrastructure, be it rail or school. We also used the produce to develop oil. When we got the oil, we threw everything away.

"We thank God this year, the harvest was quite good, otherwise, I do not know what we would have done. No money saved, no infrastructure built, power is still our main problem. Old roads have dilapidated and they needed to be repaired from Lagos to Kano, Port Harcourt up to Maiduguri. There are rail lines we want to develop from Lagos to Calabar, from Lagos to Kaduna and the Abuja one.

"If we can get the infrastructure done, we cannot even know the number of Nigerians that will get job. So, we have to get infrastructure. It will take tankers and other articulated vehicles off the road, we will save vehicles and we will save lives and we will get jobs for a lot of Nigerians."

God ‘ll give Buhari solution to Nigeria’s problem in 2017- Kumuyi

The General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church, Pastor William Kumuyi, on Sunday said that in 2017, God would grant President Muhammad Buhari the solution to the numerous challenges facing the country.

Kumuyi gave the assurance while speaking with newsmen when he played host to the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mr Mudashiru Obasa, who led some members of the Assembly on courtesy visit to the church’s December Convention.

The cleric said, “We talk of the hours of recession, difficulty, distress and all that, but God is granting us His promises. We are not going to carry over our problems. “We pray and believe that the Lord will answer.

“As you will see, as we get to the New Year, there is no carryover of our problems. God will give solutions to the problems of our lives, families, communities, the state and our nation.”

The pastor said that with prayer and faith in God, the country would get out of all its challenges, including the economic recession.

The founder of the church said that God created ‘’us and wants everything to be sufficient for everybody.’’ Meanwhile, addressing the congregation of thousands of worshippers, Obasa, urged all Christians to show love to their neighbours, adding that the state was committed to fight unemployment among the youth.

 He said that the newly created Employment Trust Fund would help reduce joblessness by providing soft loan with little interest for enterprising people of Lagos state. “We must go beyond religious demarcation and show ourselves that we are brothers and sisters.

 Let us love one another. We should extend hands of fellowship to our neighbours,” the speaker said. Obasa, who urged churches to pray for the state and nation, said that the state was passionate to give good governance and improve the economy of the state for the benefit of all.

He expressed delight over the warmth reception accorded his team by the leadership of the church. NAN reports that the speaker the Deputy Majority Leader of the House, Mr Muyiwa Jimoh and the Chairman, House Committee on Environment, Mr Dayo Saka-Fafunmi were among the team. Mrs Funmilayo Tejuosho, the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary,

Human Rights, Petitions and Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission among others government functionaries also made the list. NAN reports that the four-day, nation-wide convention, which started on Dec. 23 and expected to end on Dec. 26, is tagged, “Power for the Present Hour”.

It is taking place at the Deeper Life Conference Centre (DLCC) KM 42, Lagos/Ibadan Expressway

Buhari to militants: Let's negotiate how we'll manage our resources

President Muhammadu Buhari says his administration will persuade "our friends" in the Niger Delta to sit down with it and agree to manage the nation's resources "rather than think of fighting it out."

President Buhari said this at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja on Sunday when the representatives of the Federal Capital Territory paid him a Christmas homage.

He asked his visitors to talk to Nigerians to be patient with his government, saying "We are always thinking about our country and we are thinking about our people. 

"God has given Nigerians a lot of preachers and resources, both human and materials. We'd better do the same thing for our children and grandchildren. 

"I assure you that the country and the people of the country are always uppermost in our minds. Our performance in the North East, Nigerians know that this government is serious."

Buhari the challenges of security and economy which he identified during his election campaign still remained the nation's fundamental problems almost 18 months after he took over.

"I think it is good to select objectives and be honest about it and work towards it. It is now almost 18 months since we resumed here. We are very lucky, I believe some of you followed us during our campaigns and what we identified are still fundamentals problems. 

"The first is security, and we kept on saying whether it is an organisation or a country, we have to first secure it before we can manage it properly. Without security, nothing can work.

"Secondly, the economy and the unemployment of able bodied persons," the president said.