President Muhammadu Buhari has yet again lamented the financial sleaze allegedly perpetrated by previous administrations in the country.
He stated that the pillaging of public funds and resources was so much that his administration would not be able to recover the loot.
According to President Buhari, the damage done to the Nigerian economy in the years of plunder was massive, and government was doing its best to recover some of the loot.
He said past leaders plundered the country and kept Nigerians poor but looking at the condition in which the current administration met the country, without savings and the economy badly vandalised, “we have not done too badly.”
The president spoke in London on Sunday when he received the Buhari Diaspora Support Organisation led by Charles Efe Sylvester.
Buhari, in a statement by his media aide, Femi Adesina, referred to those who played active roles in plundering the economy in past administrations as “wicked people”.
He gave the assurance that the trust and goodwill bestowed on his administration would remain intact.
He told the group: “We will do our best to justify your trust in us, and that confidence won’t be abused. 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.”
He noted that Nigeria was gifted with tremendous human and natural resources, but regretted that the “failure of some of the leaderships we had in the past led to our not being able to capitalise on resources to improve the lot of the people.”
“If they had used 50% of the money we made, when oil prices went as high as $143 per barrel and stabilised at $100, 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”.
He lauded the Buhari Diaspora Support Organisation for deciding to identify with the country, “when you could have stayed here, and be comfortable.”
Coordinator of the organisation, Sylvester, said the group was happy with the achievements of the Buhari administration so far.
He said: “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.”
