Buhari, APC promise positive changes, better life for Nigerians in 2016
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed his ministers and other appointees to ensure that Nigerians experience positive changes in their lives in 2016. The president made this known on Thursday in a New Year message, just as the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, assured that 2016 would be a better year for Nigerians Buhari noted that Nigerians have experienced significant hardships over the past months, particularly the lengthy queues at fuel stations and difficulties businesses have faced in acquiring foreign exchange. He, however, added that these challenges are only temporary; and assured that “we are working to make things better.”
The President further stated that “In the past seven months since our inauguration on May 29, 2015, my administration has focused on laying the right foundation for the CHANGE you voted for during our historic presidential election. “Nigerians will in due course begin to enjoy the fruits of all our ongoing work. The effective and efficient implementation of our 2016 budget proposals will address many of the socio-economic issues that are of current concern to our people.” He said the crackdown on corruption will continue to be vigorously undertaken and urged the courts “to support our efforts and help in the recovery of stolen funds by speedily concluding trials and showing that impunity no longer has a place in our country.” “We must reduce our country’s reliance on oil.
We must diversify our economy. And we must do all we can to promote job creation. “Our challenges are many but our determination to succeed is strong and unshaken. So too is our confidence in God.” In his statement issued in Abuja by the party’s Assistant Director (Publicity), Mr Edegbe Odemwingie, the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, said although 2015 was difficult, 2016 would see the fulfillment of all campaign promises by the APC. The statement said: ‘’I want to, on behalf of our great party, the APC, wish everyone a happy and healthy New Year. ‘’While 2015 was difficult for many Nigerians, we must also look back, with relief and a collective sense of jubilation, to the momentous opportunity it offered to the electorate to make the longdesired change.
‘’And we must sustain the hope that brighter days are ahead of us. Although our challenges are legion, we have the courage and determination to rise up and meet them. ‘’I want to give a firm assurance that all the promises made by the party in respect of the 2015 election to Nigerians will be kept. ‘’The New Year holds great dividends for Nigerians when the policies of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration are enforced in the 2016 financial year.’’ The Chairman said the N6.08 trillion ‘Budget of Change’ presented by the President would ensure a lot of promises to the people were met including paying stipends to the unemployed. He lauded the full implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA), saying all government revenue inflows and disbursements could be effectively monitored and also plug revenue leakages.
