Buhari also rejected the clamour for state police as a solution to worsening security situation in the country.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigerians have to go back to the farms while answering a question around how economic indicators in the country have worsened since he assumed office in 2015.
During an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday evening monitored by SaharaReporters, Buhari said the remedy to the economic crisis his administration caused was for citizens to be farmers.
One of the interviewers had compared the economic indicators before Buhari became the President with the current indicators, and asked him to comment.
In the question, Buhari was asked how the debt stock was N12trillion before his coming and how under him, it rose to N32trillion. It was also pointed out that inflation was 9% before Buhari attained power, but now it was over 15%.
The interviewer further cited that the unemployment rate was at 8.19% before Buhari but presently at 33.28%, and the exchange rate of one dollar to naira before his government was N197/$1 as against the present N411/$1.
In response to the indicators, Buhari said, "Well, I'm not sure how correct your indicators are, but all I know is that we have to allow people to get access to the farms. We just have to go back to the land.
"What we have done so far like I said, we have achieved some success. But the most important is the farm, machinery and infrastructure."
Buhari also rejected the clamour for state police as a solution to worsening security situation in the country.
“State police is not an option. Find out the relationship between local governments and the governors. Are the third tiers of government getting what they are supposed to get constitutionally? Are they getting it? Let the people in local government tell you the truth; the fight between local governments and the governor,” he said.
Despite being a former Army General, the level of insecurity under Buhari’s administration has worsened with virtually all parts of the country currently battling one form of violent crimes or another.
The Global Terrorism Index (2019) ranked Nigeria as the third-worst nation prone to terrorism with no improvement since 2017.
Aside from insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and secessionist violence are pushing Nigeria towards the brink of collapse with many calling for the resignation of the President for “failing” to secure the country.
Using security operatives, the Buhari-led government is also known for harassing, assaulting and intimidating journalists, human rights activists, protesters and critics of the government.
The government has also shown hostility to Nigerian Judges and indifference to court judgments and orders, thereby seriously undermining their standing and authority, and the notion of access to justice.
His administration is also notorious for ignoring court judgments and orders.