With insecurity in the rise, President Bola Tinubu vowed on Tuesday to stamp out remnants of Boko Haram, bandits and kidnappers in the country.
At the public presentation of publications on the Muhammadu Buhari administration in Abuja, President Tinubu spoke glowingly about his predecessor, who also used the occasion to apologise to Nigerians for the pains of some reforms embarked upon by his government.
President Tinubu said that his administration would continue where the last administration of Buhari stopped in the area of tackling insecurity.
The President’s assurances came at a time when there is a hike in insecurity in some parts of the country, in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
He also said Buhari did not interfere in his administration in terms of decisions on who to appoint or what policies to introduce.
President Tinubu said: “President Buhari assumed office at a very difficult period of our national life when the economy was spiralling into recession and Boko Haram had taken over swaths of our territory in North East.
“At a point, it appeared even Abuja, the seat of government would fall into the hands of Boko Haram with the bombing of the UN Building, Banex Plaza, Nyanya and other locations within the Federal Capital Territory.
“We cannot easily forget how our armed forces battled the Boko Haram terrorists under the leadership of President Buhari to reclaim our territory and push them to the fringes of Lake Chad where they no longer pose existential threat to our sovereignty.
“I must say the job of securing every inch of our country is yet to be finished. My government will stamp out the remaining vestiges of Boko Haram, Ansaru, banditry and kidnapping gangs. We won’t rest until every agent of darkness is completely rooted out”.
The President thanked the organisers for puttung the book unveiling together as it afforded him the opportunity to meet with his predecessor for the first time after leaving office.
He described former President Buhari as a great man, a patriot and a dedicated public servant, who served the country with dedication and uncommon zeal.
He said: “First of all, I thank the organisers of today’s book launch for providing me the opportunity and the ambience to reunite with my predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, since he left office on 29th May 2023.
“I am therefore extremely happy to receive him here in Abuja. We are all here today to honour a great man, a patriot, a dedicated public servant, who offered his best in the service of our country since he joined the army in 1962 at age 18.
“President Buhari served our country with dedication and uncommon zeal. First as a military officer who offered unblemished service, manning important commands and political positions, and crowning it as military Head of State on 1st January 1984. Second, as a politician who ran four times for the highest office until he was elected President in 2015.
“When President Buhari was leaving office, he said he would retire to Daura, far away from Abuja, to enjoy his well-deserved retirement from public service. I remember he added that if his supporters and friends deny him enough rest in Daura, he would run to the Republic of Niger.
“Well, as you all know, he can no longer escape to Niger Republic because of the border closure.
“After handing over, you (Buhari) said, ‘I will be far away in Daura but if you need me, contact me. I won’t intrude on whatever you are doing. I won’t interfere. I won’t breathe down on your throat.
“We’ve partnered to make democracy flourish in Nigeria, thank you.
“Except when I call him (on the phone) to say, ‘Are you living, are you going to the farm?’, you don’t hear from him (Buhari) either to nominate or intrude in the cabinet or complain about issues. Thank you for being who you are”.
He added: “The authors of the books we are here to present to the public have done justice to the essential Muhammadu Buhari, especially on his tenure and legacy as the 15th President of Nigeria.
“Femi Adesina, who served him as the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, authored one of the books titled:’Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity ( 2015-2023).
“I particularly thank Femi for using his memoirs to let us into the challenging eight years of the administration and how his principal steered the ship of state.
“The second book that will be presented today is a collection of five volumes book on the Buhari years. The book, Muhammadu Buhari: The Nigerian Legacy (2015-2023) gives an authoritative account of the stewardship of President Buhari.
“Beyond what the editor of these volumes has recorded as the achievements of President Buhari in his eight years as a democratically-elected President, history will also be kind to him as the leader who promoted local production of goods to grow our economy.
“It will be said glowingly of President Buhari that in his eight turbulent years, marked by acute shortage of revenue, Covid-19 pandemic that shut down of the global economy for almost two years, his administration embarked on the most ambitious infrastructural renewal for the country.
“President Buhari gave us the second Niger Bridge. He revamped Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. He gave us the Lagos-Ibadan and Warri-Itakpe Rail lines. He completed Abuja-Kaduna rail line and Lekki Seaport. He built brand new airports, among many other landmark economic projects. The Abuja-Kaduna-Kano Expressway, which he started, will be completed by my administration, by the Grace of God.
“Whatever unresolved challenges faced by President Buhari in his eight years, our administration will endeavour to resolve them. As I said during the campaigns, I inherited all his assets and liabilities.
“Our administration will continue to work from where President Buhari stopped, to make our country better, create a vibrant economy and secure the environment to bring more prosperity to our people”.
On his part, Buhari stressed the need for record keeping even as he ran a transparent and accountable administration.
He said: “The two publications launched today: Working with Buhari: Reflections of a Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, 2015 – 2023, written by Femi Adesina, who served as my Media Adviser for eight years, and a volume of five books, Muhammadu Buhari: The Nigerian Legacy (2015 – 2023), edited by Dr. Udu Yakubu, are worthy to temporarily bring me out of resting in my native Daura, back to the city.
“These books presented today once again exemplify the sanctity of records, and the role they play in documenting facts and figures, achievements and milestones, either in our personal lives, or in the life of a nation.
“I told Adesina when he visited me in Daura with an advance copy of his book, he has done the nation a favour in writing it, as he has provided a one-stop shop on our stewardship to the country.
“The same has also been done by Dr. Udu Yakubu and his colleagues. Without documentation, revisionism wins. Human beings often have short memories, and unless events are recorded in cold print, some people would come and attempt to either distort, or even obliterate recent history.
“But the fact in our favour is that nothing was done under the veil of secrecy. We were as transparent and accountable as possible, being aware of the fact that posterity was the ultimate judge.
“We kept records of our stewardship, knowing that we would always be required to account for the trust entrusted to us. This event today is part of accounting for our two terms in office, and I thank those who have laboured day and night, to ensure that this history is recorded for now and the future.
“Government is a continuum. It is like a relay race. You run your course, and hand over the baton to the next person. This we have done, and the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration has my support and confidence, in the quest for us to have a country of our dreams, where there is emancipation for our teeming population.
“With the cumulative achievements of government after government, I believe we will get there in no distant time. In our journey to the desired destination, there will be hard decisions taken, and the people would bear some costs.
“We can only seek their understanding, and state that there was no intention to deliberately inflict pain and anguish on anyone. This is why I apologized to such people at the end of our time in office.
“Sacrifices are still being made now, and will continue to be part of our national life and development. Governments will continually seek the understanding and support of the people they lead, for our ultimate good and goal.
“Let revisionists not rejoice that they have the ultimate say in the bid to distort history. Facts and records will ultimately prove them wrong. When some people engage in deliberate falsehood and distortion of facts that pertain to our tenure in office, I take solace in the fact that records are there, and will remain inviolable.
“I remain committed to our great party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I have abiding faith in the strength, unity and future of Nigeria”.
Adesina’s book was reviewed by one time CNN Journalist of the Year, Shola Oshunkeye, while that on Buhari legacy was jointly reviewed by the Director General of the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Prof. Eghosa Osaghae ,and a Professor of Political Science, Kabiru Mayo.
The launch was chaired by former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon and co-chaired by General I. B. M. Haruna.
In attendance were former Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo; Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abass; former Senate President Ahmad Lawan; National Chairman of the All Progressives, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje; and Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
Others included the Inspector of Police, Kayode Egbetokun; former Minister of Labour, Employment and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige; former Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; Alhaji Mohammed Indimi; former Minister of the FCT, Mallam Mohammad Sani Bello; former Minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika; former Minister of Information, Culture and National Orientation, Alhaji Lai Mohammed; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake; Minister of Steel Development, Prince Sanusi Audu; and former Minister of Works and Housing, Raji Fashola SAN.
Also at the launch were Governors Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and Dikko Radda of Katsina State.
