As the year 2021 grinds to an end, Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said on Thursday that the present administration, in spite of daunting challenges, made tremendous progress in 2021 in fighting insecurity, growing the economy, and reforming the oil sector to spur more investments.
The Minister, who addressed a press conference in Lagos on the achievements of the administration in the outgoing year, stated that it succeeded in emplacing world class infrastructure, providing social safety net for the poor and most vulnerable in the society.
However, not a few Nigerians absolutely disagree with Minister Mohammed. They say that insecurity has worsened to an alarming uncontrollable level. They say hunger has worsened in the land. They say unemployment is at its worst peak. And they say that Nigerians have lost hope of a better country under the President Muhammadu Buhari Government.
But the Minister says not true. Lai Mohammed:
“What we have done here is to highlight the major achievements, hence this is by no means exhaustive. That’s why we are also giving you a list of 100 achievements of the Buhari Administration in 2021.Success is not measured by the number of challenges you face, but by how you tackle the challenges.
“This is what the Administration has demonstrated by tackling insecurity headlong while also growing and diversifying the economy.
“We want to most sincerely thank all Nigerians for their support and perseverance. We want to reassure the nation that President Muhammadu Buhari is determined to leave a legacy of a safe, secure and prosperous nation. We urge Nigerians not to relent in supporting our security forces, who continue to make sacrifices to keep our country safe.
“Let me admit straightaway that the year has not been devoid of challenges. For the outgoing year in particular, the major challenge has been that of insecurity.
“In spite of this and the usual economic challenges, especially the dwindling resources available to the government, the Administration has availed itself creditably.”
Other areas where notable achievements were recorded, according to the minister include oil and gas sector, transportation, infrastructure, and social investment programme.
Speaking further on insecurity, Alhaji Mohammed stated that “The effectiveness of the military was enhanced by the leadership provided by President Muhammadu Buhari and the unwavering commitment of the armed forces and its leadership.
“The procurement of modern platforms for the armed forces has also gone a long way in raising the level of their operational readiness and efficiency, in addition to boosting their capabilities.
“During the period under review, the Nigerian Army procured 160 MRAPS, 150 trucks and 60 APCs to improve its equipment holding. Various kits were equally provided for troops. This is in addition to the provision of accommodation for troops and the recruitment of over 10,000 personnel into the Army.
“The Nigerian Navy (NN), for its part, commissioned the FALCON EYE Maritime Domain Awareness Capability, the third locally-built Seaward Defense Boat, one helicopter, 4 inshore patrol boats and 90 Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats. Over 1,500 personnel were recruited into the Navy during the year.
“The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) took delivery of 12 Super Tucanos and 3 JF-17 Thunder Fighter Aircraft and other platforms with which it has conducted several Air interdictions, provided close air support to ground troops and destroyed several illegal structures and equipment belonging to terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.
On the economy, the minister explained that “The recovery of the economy remained on a steady path throughout the year 2021. As you are aware, gentlemen, many countries around the world face unprecedented challenges, starting from 2020, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and Nigeria is no exception.
“The Nigerian economy was hit by the pandemic in mid- 2020, and the economic disruptions led to a recession. The poor performance of the economy during the COVID-19 era affected output growth, trade, household welfare and livelihood.
“However, this led to a quick response by the federal government with the rolling out of effective fiscal and monetary policies as well as health-related policies intended to curb the spread of the pandemic and mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on the economy. This has yielded considerable results.”
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