President Muhamamdu Buhari has said that his administration is the only one in Nigeria’s history to implement a solution to decades-long herder/farmer conflicts, exacerbated by desertification and demographic growth.
In a correspondence with Bloomberg, the president asserted that the National Livestock Transformation Plan, putting ranching at its core, is the only way to deplete the competition for resources at the core of the clashes.
According to him, governors from some individual states have sought to play politics where ranches have been established; but where they have been disputes have dramatically reduced.
Speaking further regarding the war against terror, President Buhari explained that in 2015, Boko Haram held territory the size of Belgium within the borders of Nigeria, adding that today, however, the terrorists are close to extinct as a military force.
Buhari while reaffirming that a leader of ISWAP was eliminated by a Nigerian Airforce airstrike in March, noted that the jets acquired from the US and intelligence shared by the British were not provided to previous administrations and stand as testament to renewed trust re-built between Nigeria and her traditional western allies under his government.
“Terrorists no longer hold any territory in Nigeria, and their leaders are deceased; and vast infrastructure development sets the country on course for sustainable and equitable growth,” Buhari stated.
He urged the same international partners to take additional steps costing them nothing, by proscribing another group – IPOB – as a terrorist organization.
“Their leadership enjoys safe haven in the West, broadcasting hate speech into Nigeria from London, spending millions lobbying members of the US Congress, and freely using international financial networks to arm agitators on the ground.
“This must stop,” the president declared.
As regards corruption, President Buhari assured Nigerians that his government will leave Nigeria in a far better place than they found it.
In his opinion, corruption is less hidden, for Nigerians feel empowered to report it without fear and stolen monies are now being returned.