“We will do our best to justify your trust in us, and that confidence won't be abused,” President Muhammadu Buhari has assured Nigerians.
The President spoke in London Sunday while receiving the Buhari Diaspora Support Organization, led by Mr Charles Efe Sylvester.
"I am happy that people like you are here, on your own, defending the country. You have shown courage and sacrifice. I assure you that your confidence in us won't be abused, we will do our best to justify it," President Buhari said.
He noted that Nigeria was gifted with tremendous human and natural resources, but regretted that "failure of some of the leadership we had in the past led to our not being able to capitalize on resources to improve the lot of the people."
Saying wicked people plundered the country, "and kept Nigerians poor," the President added that looking at the condition in which the current administration met the country, without savings and the economy badly vandalized, "we have not done too badly."
President Buhari said the damage done to the Nigerian economy in the years of plunder was massive, and that government was doing its best to recover some of the loot, but noted that it was impossible to identify and recover all.
"If they had used 50% of the money we made, when oil prices went as high as $143 dollars per barrel, and stabilized at $100 dollars with production at 2.1 million barrels per day for many years, Nigerians would have minded their businesses. You could almost grow food on our roads, as they were abandoned. The stealing was so much, and they were so inept that they could not even cover the stealing properly. I wonder how all those things could have happened to our country." the President said.
He commended the Buhari Diaspora Support Organization for deciding to identify with the country, "when you could have stayed here, and being comfortable."
The Coordinator of the organization, Mr Sylvester, said the group was happy with the achievements of the Buhari administration so far, noting:
"You met a difficult situation, but you have overcome most of them. We are happy with the agriculture revolution, the ease of doing business, the anti-corruption war, the employment of youths through the N-Power programme, and the blockage of leakages in the public sector through the Treasury Single Account (TSA).
"We are proud of the speed with which you recovered the abducted Dapchi schoolgirls. It shows you as a worthy general. We are happy that you have declared for 2019. Majority of Nigerians are happy, but agents of corruption and darkness are unhappy. The same God, who healed you when you were ill, will grant you victory in the 2019 elections. You are a General who does not fear combat, either with Generals or non-Generals. We declare our love and support for you. You are fixing the faulty foundations of our country and second term is when you will build the enduring structure."