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President Buhari Condemns Attack On Enugu Community, Orders Crackdown On Perpetrators-Lai Mohammed Says

April 27, 2016

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered security chiefs to hunt down

those who perpetrated the attack on Ukpabu Nimbo community in

Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State on Monday.

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The President gave the order in his address delivered by the Minister

of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the public

presentation of a book entitled "Who will love my country: Ideas for

building the Nigeria of our dream’’, written by the Deputy Senate

President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in Abuja on Wednesday.

"Before making my remarks about the book, let me use this platform to

condemn, in the strongest possible terms, the attack perpetrated on

the Ukpabu Nimbo community in Uzo-Uwani area of Enugu State on Monday.

I deeply sympathise with all those who lost dear ones, as well as

those who lost their properties, in the attack.

"I have directed the Chief of Defence Staff and the Inspector-General

of Police to secure all communities under attacks by herdsmen, and to

go after all the groups terrorizing innocent people all over the

country. This government will not allow these attacks to continue", he

stated.

President Buhari said in writing the book, the author struck the right

notes when he enjoined leaders to carry out programmes that will

enhance the prosperity, happiness and living conditions of citizens

and stressed the need for change in several areas, including

attitudinal change, especially as it concerns corruption and impunity

and the need for Nigerians to love their country.

"He (Senator Ekweremadu) demonstrated in the book that Nigerians can

only build a Nigeria of their dreams if they make bold efforts to love

her above their individual selves and narrow interests," the President

remarked.

He aligned with the views canvassed by Senator Ekweremadu in the book

and said for his government, those words propounded by the author

amount to preaching to the converted.

"Our mantra is CHANGE, starting with individual attitudinal change.

That explains why this Administration will soon launch a major

campaign, tagged ‘CHANGE BEGINS WITH ME’, aimed at getting Nigerians

to realize that the change they so much desire starts with them. If we

all change our ways for the better, the society itself will change" he

said.

While endorsing the need  to secure the social welfare of the people

as encapsulated in the book, the President said it was in line with

this that his administration designed the 2016 budget to bring

millions of Nigerians out of poverty, enhance the living conditions of

the citizens and put smiles on their faces.

"Our 500 billion Naira Social Intervention Fund, which is

unprecedented, will, among others, create jobs for 500,000 unemployed

graduates and 370,000 unemployed non-graduates; provide loans for 1

million Nigerians, including market men and women as well as artisans,

to start up small businesses; feed 4.5 million school children; ensure

conditional cash transfers to the most vulnerable (not unemployed

graduates) citizens and provide scholarships to students studying

science, technology, engineering and mathematics," he said.

President Buhari challenged Nigerians to make bold efforts to love

their country above their individual selves and narrow interests,

saying anyone who puts his or her country over and above other

interests will not engage in unbridled corruption, divert money meant

for public use to private purposes or divert money for the national

treasury into private pockets.

"When we put the public interest above our personal interests, the

society benefits, but when the reverse is the case, the society

suffers," he said.

The President congratulated the author for investing his time and

energy in writing such a relevant and well-written book that inspires

love of country among Nigerians.

 

Segun Adeyemi

SA to Hon Minister of Information and Culture

Abuja

April 27th 2016

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Politics