No compromise on national unity – Buhari

.Tasks advisory council on reliable data for economic growth

President Muhammadu Buhari says he is fully committed to the unity of Nigeria, and will devote his time and energy to promoting it for the benefit of Nigerians.

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The President made his feelings known during a visit to the State House by a delegation of Benue State Council of Traditional Rulers led by the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.

Buhari called for better appreciation of the historical relationships among various communities to sustain the nation’s unity.

He observed that ties between the Tiv and his own ethnic Fulani stock, which predated him and the current generation, helped in ensuring peaceful and harmonious co-existence among the people.

The president expressed optimism that such cordial bonds would continue to endure among various groups and serve as strong unifying force in the country.

He decried the misunderstanding of internal conflicts by many people at home and abroad, citing the farmer-herders clashes which in several places had been misconstrued as religious, ”when in fact, they arose from social and cultural factors.”

He restated his appeal for better understanding of the nation’s diverse cultures to engender healthier co-existence among the people, while fortifying and strengthening the unity of the country.

Responding to the narration of the Tor Tiv on the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the recent conflicts in the state, the President said he was aware of that, as well as things happening in the North East, the North West and the South-South.

He noted that it was in realisation of the foregoing and the urgent need to ameliorate the plight of the IDPs that he created the new Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development “so that we have a ministry that coordinates their demands and avoid duplication of resources.”

The president expressed delight with the leadership of the Tor Tiv and other traditional rulers in their various communities, as well as their strong support for his administration.

He promised to look into the “long list” of the delegation’s demands, and thanked the royal fathers for showing appreciation to programmes his administration had been doing in the state in terms of projects and appointments.

Earlier, the Tor Tiv had described the recent triumph of the President at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal as “God-given victory and mandate to reconstruct, rebuild and unify the country and take it to the Next Level of socio-economic development.”

He said “we are here to pledge our support and encouragement to your administration and its laudable programmes.”

Meanwhile, President Buhari has charged Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PAEC) to develop reliable data that would be reflect Nigeria’s economic realities and promote sustained growth.

President Buhari gave the charge on Wednesday when he administered oaths of office on members of the newly constituted Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC).

The President at a meeting with the council chaired by Prof. Doyin Salami charged them to focus on developing reliable data that would properly reflect what is happening in the country.

Buhari described the task before the PEAC as ‘‘most important national assignment’’.

‘‘As you develop your baseline study, I would like you to focus on primary data collection. Today, most of the statistics quoted about Nigeria are developed abroad by the World Bank, IMF and other foreign bodies.

‘‘Some of the statistics we get relating to Nigeria are wild estimates and bear little relation to the facts on the ground.

‘‘This is disturbing as it implies we are not fully aware of what is happening in our own country.

‘‘We can only plan realistically when we have reliable data. As you are aware, as a government, we prioritised agriculture as a critical sector to create jobs and bring prosperity to our rural communities.

‘‘Our programmes covered the entire agricultural value chain from seed to fertiliser to grains and ultimately, our dishes.

‘‘As you travel in some rural communities, you can clearly see the impact. However, the absence of reliable data is hindering our ability to upgrade these programmes and assure their sustainability,” he said.

The President also used the occasion to set agenda and expectations from the Council, constituted on September 16, to replace the Economic Management Team (EMT), urging them to achieve those agendas in the shortest possible time.

On the Social Investment Programmes (SIPs), the President told members that his administration was working to measure the impact of the programme targeted at improving the well-being of millions of poor and vulnerable citizens.

To this end, the President said he had directed the new Minister for Humanitarian Affairs to commence a comprehensive data-gathering exercise in all Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in the North East.

He said: “Today, we hear international organisations claiming to spend hundreds of millions of dollars on IDPs in the North East. But when you visit the camps, you rarely see the impact.

‘‘In 2017, when the National Emergency Management Agency took over the feeding of some IDPs in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, the amount we spent was significantly lower than the claims made by these international organisations.

On his expectations from the council, the President urged them to proffer solutions on how to move the country and economy forward.

He directed the Council to coordinate and synthesise ideas and efforts on how to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in 10 years, working in collaboration with various employment generating agencies of government.

”I am told you worked throughout last weekend in preparation for this meeting.

”I have listened attentively to findings and ideas on how to move the country and the economy forward.

”Yes, Nigeria has exited the recession. But our reported growth rate is still not fast enough to create the jobs we need to meet our national ambition of collective prosperity.

”Therefore, I will be the first to admit that our plans were conservative. We had to avoid reckless and not well thought out policies.

”However, it was very clear to me after we exited the recession that we needed to re-energise our economic growth plans. This is what I expect from you,” he said.

President Buhari also assured the Council that the Federal Government would ensure that all their needs and requests were met before the next technical sessions in November.

Speaking on behalf of the council, Doyin Salami, the Chairman of the council, said the mandate was focused on Nigeria and her collective well-being.

“Our goal is that the economy grows in a manner that is rapid, inclusive, sustained and sustainable, so that Nigerians will feel the impact,” Salami said.