President Muhammadu Buhari has said that Nigeria has been able to save billions of naira with the implementation of the Treasury Single Account.
The president also said his administration is working hard to make poverty history in the country through social interventions.
The president made the statement while delivering a speech as the special guest of honour at the graduation ceremony of the participants in the course 24 of the National Defence College, Abuja on Friday.
Buhari said that in the country’s fight to end poverty in Nigeria, reliefs have been set up for the poor.
“We have set up social interventions and reliefs for the poor, and already, data is being collated by the Economic Planning Office of the Vice President in conjunction with the World Bank,” he said.
“In addition, through our 2016 budget, we intend to stimulate the economy, making it more competitive by focusing on infrastructural development; delivering inclusive growth; and prioritising the welfare of Nigerians.
“We believe that this budget, while helping industry, commerce and investment to pick up, will as a matter of urgency, address the immediate problems of youth unemployment and the terrible living conditions of the very poor and vulnerable Nigerians.”
The president held, that to tap the country’s vast opportunities, it needs a philosophy of transparency and accountability in governance.
Buhari said, “The other core areas that we need to improve are the rule of law and moral standards in government and in society in order to provide a good foundation for good governance so that our gains are not dissipated by corruption.
“Good governance must be based on a sound moral foundation, a philosophy of transparency, accountability and an ethic of effective implementation. Already, our unrelenting fight against criminality and corruption in governance is a clear testament that we intend to address these problems.”
He assured the audience that his administration is committed to bequeathing to the nation, a new orientation in leadership that will be service-driven and committed to the realisation of its promises to the electorates.
“We are however not under any illusions that this task is an easy one. But we have put our trust in God knowing that with hard work and sound vision, we will triumph,” he said.
He pointed out that the National Defence College is a truly unique institution, which has empowered the graduating students with the highest levels of skills in management practices of present day administration and governance for development of our institutions.
He added, “We are also very pleased to learn that the blueprints of training at this College have kept pace with our current security environment. In this vein, you will be pleased to note that in the last one year, through the hard work, dedication and sacrifices made by members of our armed forces and security services, we have been able to degrade significantly, the capacity of Boko Haram insurgents to wreck havoc on our society.
“Also, on the matter of Herdsmen/Farmers clashes, I wish to state that this Administration will not tolerate or condone acts of banditry and criminality, under any guise. As such, our security agencies have been mandated to deal with such acts decisively.
“Let me state that this Administration has been working assiduously in conjunction with our local and international partners, to rebuild damaged communities in North East part of our country.
“Similarly, we are committed to tackling the issues of underdevelopment and neglect in the Niger Delta area. This is a priority we have set before us and we intend to make appreciable gains in correcting the ills of the past in the Niger Delta by assuaging inherent grievances.”
He told the graduating students that as strategic leaders, they must remember that the Nigerian Armed Forces have been the torch bearers of many of our non-military innovations.
He therefore expressed happiness at the students attainment of higher defence management and strategic research on the topic “Youth Bulge in Nigeria, Implication for National Security”.
He said: “As we seek to solve the myriad of social and political problems we will look closely at your recommendations.
“As you graduate, I urge you to set for yourselves befitting goals and having done so, utilise your technical competence, skills and hardwork to realise it. I compliment all of you, especially the award winners, for achieving this personal milestone which I hope is a sign of things to come.
