BEVERLY HILLS, May 27, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on Friday declared that the Nigerian economy would have collapsed if not for the emergence of President Muhammadu Buhari as President after last year’s general elections.
According to a statement issued by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi, the Minister stated this during a courtesy visit to Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano state, shortly before the commencement of the Hausa town hall meeting in the ancient city.
“For the fact that God loves this country, if any other political party had won the election, there would have been no economy to talk about. They wouldn’t have the courage or discipline to manage the economy,” he said.
Mohammed averred that the President was gradually reviving the economy through prudent management of resources and the introduction of creative ideas to block leakages and assured Nigerians that there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel.
His words, “This government, more than any government, has been working very hard because this is one government that genuinely believes in the people; it is one government that really cares for the poorest of the poor. For the first time we have a president whose integrity is actually driving the country.”
He therefore appealed to Nigerians to be patient as the change they voted for would be gradual; adding that the past one year had been spent in laying a solid foundation for the country.
The Minister, who described the Kano town hall meeting as unique because the medium of communication is an indigenous language, stated that the idea of the town hall meetings was to communicate directly with the people and also feel their pulse on government policies and programmes.
“The idea of the town hall meeting came when we realised that our message was not getting down to the people. When we issue a press release or we have a press conference, it is so watered down, it’s sifted and everybody takes his story from his or her own angle. So we decided that it’s better we address the people directly,” he explained.
In his remarks, Ganduje hailed the minister for introducing the town hall meeting, particularly in indigenous languages, and said it is the surest way of bridging the gap between the government and the people.
“To decide to have the town hall meeting in a vernacular language, I think there is no better style and initiative than that single decision of the honourable minister,” he said.
The Governor stated that following the analysis conducted after the election, it was discovered that not only APC members voted for the president, but that it was the consensus of opinions to pull Nigeria from the brink and return the country to the path of growth and sustainable development.
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