Democracy Day: Buhari Names Abuja Stadium After MKO; Says Corruption Fight Must Be Collective

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Wednesday, June 12th, 2019

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – ‘’For Nigeria to progress, a collective resolution to address corruption and foster broad-based prosperity is required to create a country that is not only for a few privileged, but for all Nigerians.’’

This challenge was handed down Wednesday at the pioneer 2019 Democracy Day in Abuja by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The charge the President noted was not only to Civil Servants, Ministers, Legislators and State Government functionaries, but also to corporate leaders.

He affirmed that various stakeholders would make greater investments in our rural economies, adding that ‘’we shall aggressively source locally our raw materials’’.

‘’We have incentives for investments specifically made in rural communities.

‘’However, nationwide development cannot occur from Abuja alone; it must occur at States. And Government cannot do it alone’’ the President restated.

President implored all State Governments, especially those with large rural economies, to aggressively solicit investments in your states; Invest in developing human capital, reducing bureaucracy and corruption, hosting and attending investment summits and improving the ease of doing business.

He thanked the entrepreneurs, investors and ‘’venture capitalists’’ who have built or are building agro-processing projects; petrochemical plants; crude oil and solid mineral refineries; energy exploration; software development projects; telecom infrastructure; health, education and manufacturing projects; and the like, across our country.

Similarly, he commended promoters of small businesses that are proudly making goods and services for export and for local consumption, noting that the Nigerian economy rises and falls on the strength of your investments and productivity.

President Buhari thanked the labour unions, farmer groups and associations, organized private sector and the civil society organisations for their support and cooperation with our government these last four years.

‘’As we all know, correcting injustice is a pre-requisite for peace and unity. As part of the process of healing and reconciliation, I approved the recognition of June 12 as Democracy Day and invested the late Chief M.K.O. Abiola and Babagana Kingibe with National Honours, as I did with the late Chief Gani Fawehinmi. The purpose was to partially atone for the previous damage done in annulling the Presidential elections of that year’’ the President recalled.

Following this, Buhari proposed the re-naming of the Abuja National Stadium, adding that henceforth it will be called ‘’MOSHOOD ABIOLA NATIONAL STADIUM’’.

The President said despite the challenges over the last four years, he expressed hope that Nigeria’s future is unshaken and Nigeria’s role in the world as an emerging economic force was without a doubt.

The President stated: ‘’The ECOWAS and Sahel regions, starting from Chad all the way to Mali, are also experiencing adverse impacts of drought and desertification, which have triggered waves of human displacement; conflicts between farmers and herdsmen; terrorism; and a fundamental socio-economic change to our way of life.

‘’These issues are regional and not unique to Nigeria alone. The problems call for increased regional and international cooperation in developing a sustainable solution’’.

He hinted that as Chairman of ECOWAS, he would be hosting a regional security summit of heads of states in the Sahel to develop a Joint Strategy to continue our efforts in addressing these issues.

He lamented that at the heart of inequality and insecurity, is pervasive corruption, noting that when he took over office he realised that ‘’if you fight corruption, corruption will fight back – and we have seen this at all levels’’.