Boko Haram Would Have Captured Aso Rock If Not for Buhari - Garba Shehu Reveals

7 years ago

Boko Haram Would Have Captured Aso Rock If Not for Buhari - Garba Shehu Reveals

Garba Shehu, the Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity has said if not for the Muhammadu Buhari's administration, Boko Haram would have taken over Aso Rock in 2015.

He said this while speaking at a special interactive session with students of various tertiary institutions, in Abuja, on Saturday. He also said that Nigeria now ranks as the world’s second largest producer of rice.

The event was organised by a group, Pro-Buhari Support for Good Governance in Nigeria.

“Look at all the efforts that have been put in place to roll back Boko Haram; there are many people who believe that if not for President Muhammadu Buhari, had PDP continued in this country in 2015, they would have taken over the Aso Rock Villa by now.” Shehu said.

While speaking on the economy, he said, “The President is working hard to restructure the economy. This is very much misunderstood by Nigerians. Unfortunately, it is easier to destroy than to build.

“We met a situation in which the economy had been ravaged and people were used to lifestyles that can no longer be sustained. No country will develop when you have to import everything, including toothpick and tissue paper.

“All of the money earned was just going to buy food. As I speak to you now, Nigeria just achieved the record of (being) the second largest producer of rice in Africa.

“The rice revolution just started a year ago. A newspaper did an investigation in Kebbi and they found out that there are 48,000 new millionaires in Kebbi State alone — for growing rice. Over reliance on oil has killed this country and we cannot continue like this.”

However, Shehu admitted that President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to meet its promise of creating half a million jobs in 2016, explained that it was because the economy could not support it.

He assured that by the end of the year, the administration had created more than 300,000 jobs with the balance being carried into the New Year.

He added that the government will continue to wage war against corruption.

“People were stealing money, huge amounts of money, the kind of money that they don’t need, what do you need that kind of money for? Look at the one from Kaduna. Yesterday, I was at another event and they said the man’s aunt said she wanted food, he said there was no money.

“Look at the huge amount of money in a neighbourhood that had no electricity, no road, no water. In the same compound, you had low-level working Nigerians. They didn’t know they resided in a compound billions of naira was kept.” Shehu said.