Buhari Replies Critics Of His Administration That He Has 3 More Years

Critics carpeting President Muhammadu Buhari for his perceived slow performance in his 10-month presidency got a reply yesterday with the President responding that the criticisms were too early and hasty since he has three more years to prove his mettle.

“I know you are being harassed since the election that they haven’t seen anything on the ground. Well, if you have any explanation that could be accepted, it is that you have three more years to go,” he said at the opening of the meeting of the National Executive Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja.

Buhari, who briefed his party leaders on the progress made so far by his administration, also seized the opportunity provided by the occasion to respond to critics of his frequent travels abroad, saying the trips were necessary to present the nation’s case for foreign assistance.

According to Buhari, “Sometimes, you need to present your case on a personal basis to your economic colleagues and neighbours. Nothing is better than personal touch and I believe that we are learning a lot and eventually, the nation will realize so.”

He told his party leaders that his administration appeared slow because it had used the last 10 months to restructure the government, explaining that it had to prune the 42 ministries that the Peoples Democratic Party-led government left behind to 24 for greater efficiency and to save cost.

Buhari further explained that he had to conduct the restructuring along with the demands of producing a national budget, saying that the task were enormous. But he assured that with the 2016 budget in place, the coast was clear for him to fire from all cylinders.

-This Day