Nigerian Will Witness An Improved Security In 2021 – Lai Mohammed

49 min read 9,800 words 8 views

*Says Nigeria has fought Covid-19 well
*Says characterization of Nigeria as a failed state is a wishful
thinking of naysayers
*Says Nigeria has made progress in agriculture, infrastructure and
power
*Says doomsday predictions about Nigeria will not come to pass

Nigeria will witness improved security in 2021, the Federal
Government has assured residents across the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, gave the
assurance on Monday while addressing reporters in Lagos.

He stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has continued to
provide the military and other security agencies with the required
support to function better.

Mohammed described 2020 as undoubtedly one of the most
challenging years for the country, saying it was a result of the
global pandemic that triggered an economic recession, a heightened
security challenge, and unnecessary violence in the country.

He noted that as the President said in his New Year broadcast,
the security apparatus, as well as military and police personnel
would be re-energised and re-organised, with a view to enhancing
their capacity to engage, push back and dismantle the operations of
both internal and external extremist and criminal groups waging war
against communities in parts of the country.

The minister revealed that a number of platforms there were
expected to boost the fight against terrorists and bandits were due
to arrive in the New Year.

He, however, faulted the opposition for “constantly shooting
down” anything the present government does and condemning whatever
the President does or says.

According to Mohammed, they messed up in government and they are
messing up even more in opposition and there are no lessons learned
either way.

He also condemned the predictions by Doomsday, saying Nigeria
would not become a failed state but would rise to become a more
respected member of the comity of nations.

Read the full text of the minister’s briefing
below:

Text of the press conference addressed by the Honourable
Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, in Lagos
on Monday, 4 January 2021.

Good morning gentlemen, and welcome to this press conference,
our first this year. In fact, it was meant to be the last for
2020, but it has now become the first for 2021.

As you are aware, this press conference was scheduled for
Tuesday, December 29th, 2020. However, we had to postpone it in
order for me not to breach the COVID-19 protocols.

Many of you may not be aware that I represented Mr President at
the inauguration of His Excellency, President Roch Marc Christian
Kaboré of Burkina Faso, in Ouagadougou on Monday, December 28,
2020.

I returned to Nigeria the same day but had to observe the
mandatory seven-day quarantine, which expired yesterday, Sunday,
January 3rd 2021. My sincere apologies to you, gentlemen, for the
postponement, especially coming at such short notice.

Now that we are here, let me wish you all a Happy New Year. The
year 2020 was a very challenging one for our country. COVID-19 and
EndSARS – with their impact on the nation’s economy – and of course
heightened security challenges combined to make the year such a
tough one.

But I make bold to say that the federal government rose stoutly
– with courage and determination – to tackle the challenges, and
has continued to do so.

COVID-19

The Federal Government immediately kick-started a massive
onslaught against the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, as soon as it
was imported into the country in February 2020, mobilising all
sectors and segments of the country for a multi-sectoral approach
to interrupt the transmission of the virus, curtail mortality,
expand health infrastructure, build the capacity of health workers
and mount an aggressive public sensitisation and community
mobilisation against the spread of the virus.

To achieve these targets, President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated
a Presidential Task Force on Covid-19 under the chairmanship of the
Secretary to the Government of the Federation to drive the
multi-sectoral approach to contain the virus. Nigeria has so far
availed itself creditably in the fight against COVID-19 through the
deployment of resources, mobilisation and training of manpower and
expansion of health infrastructure, particularly our testing
capacity for Covid-19.

From just two national reference laboratories for the testing of
COVID-19, we now have over 100 laboratories, public and private,
across all the states of the federation.

Treatment centres were also built, in collaboration with the
states and the private sector (CACOVID), across the country to
isolate and treat cases of COVID-19, while the Federal Government,
through the Sustainable Production Pillar of the PTF, has been
encouraging local manufacturing companies to embark on the
production of consumables such as face masks, ventilators, hand
sanitisers and face shields.

To mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the economy across all
levels, the Federal Government unveiled the Economic Sustainability
Plan to support families, small and medium enterprises and the
manufacturing sector, among others.

A major highlight of the Economic Sustainability Plan is the
provision of solar power to five million Nigerian households in the
next 12 months.

This alone will produce 250,000 jobs and impact up to 25 million
beneficiaries through the installation. Various other interventions
were made through the Government Enterprise and Empowerment
Programme, as well as the Trader and Market Moni loans.

For the very vulnerable, significant steps taken include the
expansion of the National Social Register to 3.6 million
beneficiaries across the 36 states; support provided to 8,827,129
households through the 70,000 Metric Tons food grains released from
the Strategic Reserve; and support to 1,289,405 vulnerable
households that benefited from the Conditional Cash Transfers
across 34 States.

The Central Bank of Nigeria also announced a number of measures
to cushion the impact of the pandemic.

These include:

– A one-year extension of a moratorium on principal repayments
for CBN intervention facilities;

– The reduction of the interest rate on intervention loans from
nine percent to five per cent

– Strengthening of the Loan to Deposit ratio policy (i.e.
stepped up enforcement of directive to extend more credit to the
private sector)

– Creation of N50 billion target credit facility for affected
households and small and medium enterprises

– Granting of regulatory forbearance to banks to restructure
terms of facilities in affected sectors

– Additional N100 billion intervention fund in healthcare loans
to pharmaceutical companies and healthcare practitioners intending
to expand/build capacity

– Identification of few key local pharmaceutical companies that
will be granted funding facilities to support the procurement of
raw materials and equipment required to boost local drug
production.

– N1 trillion in loans to boost local manufacturing and
production across critical sectors.

– Provision of credit assistance for the health industry to meet
the potential increase in demand for health services and products
“by facilitating borrowing conditions for pharmaceutical companies,
hospitals and practitioners”.

– The Central Bank pledged to pump N1.1 trillion into critical
sectors of the economy.

– Commencement of a three-month repayment moratorium for all
TraderMoni, MarketMoni and FarmerMoni loans

– Similar moratorium to be given to all Federal
Government-funded loans issued by the Bank of Industry, Bank of
Agriculture and the Nigeria Export-Import Bank.

Of course, we also have the 774,000 Special Public Works (SPW)
jobs scheme (1,000 jobs per each Local Government) which is now
scheduled to commence this January.

The programme is designed for artisans to do public works for
three months at N20,000 per person per month. There is also the N75
Billion Nigeria Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), which is targeted at
interested young Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 35 years.

The aim of the scheme is to financially empower Nigerian youth
to generate at least 500,000 jobs between 2020 and 2023. Please
note that all these programmes, with the youth as major
beneficiaries, were put in place long before EndSARS.

With the resurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mr President has
extended the mandate of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on
COVID-19 until the end of March 2021, bearing in mind the new surge
in the number of cases and the bid for vaccines.

This is further evidence of the Administration’s untiring
efforts to tame the pandemic and protect Nigerians.

ENDSARS

Just as the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic was rounding off,
the country witnessed the EndSARS protest by the youth, who were
calling for an end to police brutality and the disbandment of the
Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The protest started peacefully but soon degenerated into
violence after it was hijacked by hoodlums.

The five demands of the EndSARS protesters
were:

Immediate release of all arrested protesters;

Justice for all deceased victims of police brutality and
appropriate compensation for their families;

Setting up an independent body to oversee the investigation and
prosecution of all reports of police misconduct within 10 days;

In line with the new Police Act, psychological evaluation and
retraining (to be confirmed by an independent body) of all
disbanded SARS officers before they can be redeployed;

Increase police salary so that they are adequately compensated
for protecting the lives and property of citizens.

The government responded comprehensively to the demands
thus:

On October 11: The Inspector-General of Police
announced the immediate disbandment of SARS across the 36 State
Police Commands and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

On October 12: President Muhammadu Buhari
addressed the nation, stating: ”The disbanding of SARS is only the
first step in our commitment to extensive police reforms in order
to ensure that the primary duty of the police and other law
enforcement agencies remains the protection of lives and livelihood
of our people. We will also ensure that all those responsible for
misconduct or wrongful acts are brought to justice.”

On October 13: The IGP ordered all defunct SARS
personnel to report at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, for
debriefing as well as psychological and medical examination.

The officers were to undergo this process as a prelude to
further training and reorientation before being redeployed into
mainstream policing duties. The medical examination was carried out
by the new Police Counselling and Support Unit (PCSU).

On the same day, October 13th: The presidential panel on the
reform of SARS formally accepted the five-point demand of the
EndSARS protesters.

On October 15: The National Economic Council
(NEC) directed the immediate establishment of State-based Judicial
Panels of Inquiry across the country to receive and investigate
complaints of police brutality or related extra-judicial killings,
with a view to delivering justice for all victims of the dissolved
SARS and other police units.

The panel will include representatives of Youths, Students,
Civil Society Organizations and would be chaired by a respected
retired State High Court Judge. The panels have six months to
complete their assignment.

Other decisions by NEC on the Demands:

– State Governors and the FCT Minister should take charge of
interface and contact with the protesters in their respective
domains.

– State Governors should immediately establish State-based
Special Security and Human Rights Committees to be chaired by the
Governors in their States and to supervise the newly-formed police
tactical units and all other security agencies located in the
States.

This will ensure the protection of citizens’ human rights.
Members will also include Representatives of Youths and Civil
Society, as well as the head of police tactical units in each of
the States.

– Establishment, by the Special Committee on Security and
Human Rights, of a Human Rights Public Complaints Team of between 2
to 3 persons to receive complaints on an ongoing basis. That team
would be established by the Special Committee on Security and Human
Rights.

– State Governors to immediately establish a Victims Fund
to enable the payment of monetary compensation to deserving
victims.

Finally, on the Federal Government’s response, the National
Salaries, Income, and Wages Commission was directed to expedite
action on the finalisation of the new salary structure of members
of the Nigeria Police Force.

Despite meeting the demands, the protest continued and the
demands kept expanding, until the protest was hijacked, leading to
unprecedented violence characterised by killings, maiming, arson,
looting, etc.

For the record, six soldiers and 37 policemen were killed all
over the country during the crisis. Also, 196 policemen were
injured; 164 police vehicles were destroyed and 134 police stations
burnt down.

Also, the violence left 57 civilians dead, 269 private/corporate
facilities burnt/looted/ vandalised, 243 government facilities
burnt/ vandalised and 81 government warehouses looted. The violence
was unprecedented in scale and scope, and the impact has been
damaging to the economy.

ECONOMY

Nigeria recorded positive economic developments in 2020, but
these seem to have been overshadowed by the country’s economic
recession.

As you are all aware, Nigeria officially entered recession at
the end of the third quarter (Q3), after the country’s Gross
Domestic Product declined for the second consecutive quarter in
2020 (Q2 and Q3).

That’s in line with the traditional definition of a recession.
The main reason for this is COVID-19 pandemic. Nigeria is not
alone. Dozens of countries, including economic giants like the US,
UK and Canada, have entered a recession, of course, due to the
global pandemic.

Others include Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Netherlands,
Norway, Romania, Russia, and Spain.

But, like I said earlier, Nigeria’s economic recession has
masked a lot of positive economic developments: According to the
National Bureau of Statistics, the decline of -3.62% in Q3 is much
smaller than the -6.10% recorded in Q2.

The economic conditions are actually improving, with 17
activities recording positive real growth in the third quarter,
compared to 13 in Q2. Also, 36 of 46 economic activities did better
in the third quarter of 2020 than in the second quarter of the same
year.

The -3.62% contraction recorded in the third quarter of 2020 was
better than the -6.01% earlier forecast by the National Bureau of
Statistics and outperformed several domestic and international
forecasts.

Please note that before COVID-19, the Nigerian economy had been
experiencing sustained growth, which was improving every quarter,
until the second quarter of 2020, when the impact of COVID-19
started to be felt.

Just as the year 2020 was rounding off, the Nigerian Stock
Exchange (NSE) was named the best-performing stock market among the
93 equity indexes being tracked by Bloomberg across the world.

The all-share index, which opened at 38,800.01, moved up by
310.16 points to close at 39,110.17 – crossing the 39,000 marks,
while the market capitalisation rose by N167 billion to close at
N20.446 trillion. Returns are currently at 45.7 percent; the best
annual return since 2013.

OIL SECTOR WORST HIT

The oil sector was largely responsible for the slowdown in
economic activity in the third quarter of 2020, as it recorded a
sharp contraction of -13.89% in the third quarter of 2020
year-on-year, the largest decline in that sector in 14
quarters.

The reason is not far-fetched. The slowdown in global economic
growth and oil demand due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as
Nigeria’s obligations to meet OPEC cuts, were principally
responsible for the slowdown in the performance of the oil
sector.

NON-OIL SECTOR

Though the non-oil sector also contracted in the third quarter
of 2020, the decline in the sector by -2.51% year-on-year in the
third quarter of 2020 was significantly better when compared to the
contraction of -6.05% year-on-year recorded in the second quarter
of 2020.

Overall, there is good news: The latest recession in Nigeria
will be short-lived, and Nigeria will return to positive growth
soon, unlike the 2016 recession which lasted five quarters.

This is because of several complementary fiscal, real sector,
and monetary interventions proactively introduced by the government
to forestall a far worse decline of the economy and alleviate the
negative consequences of the pandemic.

SECURITY

Gentlemen, let me say straight away that Nigeria is fending off
attacks on many fronts, not just from terrorists and bandits, but
also from some human rights organisations and the International
Criminal Court (ICC) which seem to have colluded to exacerbate the
challenges facing the country in the area of security.

While our security agencies continue to battle these bandits and
terrorists, the ICC and some international human rights
organisations, especially Amnesty International, have constituted
themselves to another ‘fighting force’ against Nigeria, constantly
harassing our security forces and threatening them with
investigation and possible prosecution over alleged crimes against
humanity and war crimes.

Unfortunately, a section of the local media has been parroting
these organisations without weighing the impact of their constant
threats on the security of the nation.

The Federal Government frowns at this unbridled attempt to
demoralise our security men and women as they confront the
onslaught from bandits and terrorists.

Nigeria did not join the ICC so it can become a pawn on the
court’s chessboard. It beggars belief to see that a nation that is
fighting an existential war against bandits and terrorists is
constantly being held down by an international body which it
willingly joined.

Nigeria is a sovereign state and will not surrender its
sovereignty to any organization. ICC, Amnesty International, and
their cohorts should desist from threatening our troops and putting
the security of our country in jeopardy. Enough is enough.

It is sad that these organisations mostly rely on fake news and
disinformation to reach their conclusions, as witnessed during the
EndSARS protest when CNN – an otherwise respected global news
network – went to town with fake news of a massacre.

As it turned out, it was a massacre without bodies. As you are
aware, we called CNN out and also petitioned the network. Though
they acknowledged receipt of our petition, we have yet to hear from
them on what actions they intend to take to prevent a recurrence of
the fake news they peddled about Nigeria.

I can assure you, gentlemen, that the matter is far from
over.

Gentlemen, despite the antics of those who have constituted
themselves to another ‘fighting force’ against our country, we have
indeed made tremendous progress in tackling bandits and the
terrorists of Boko Haram.

Recently, some jaundiced analysts and their lapdogs have sought
to portray Nigeria as a failing state, on the strength of its
security challenges. But these analysts are dead wrong. Nigeria is
not and cannot be a failing or failed state. Of course, you would
remember that for the past two decades or so, some pseudo-analysts
have been predicting the country’s implosion. That has not
happened, hence they have found a new tag line: failing or failed
state!

It’s all a ruse aimed at depicting Nigeria as being in a
constant state of anarchy, just so they can achieve their nefarious
objectives for the country.

If Nigeria was not a ‘failing’ state when a large slice of its
territory equivalent to the size of Belgium was under the
occupation of Boko Haram, which collected taxes, installed and
deposed emirs, is it now that no territory is under the terrorists
that Nigeria will be a failing state?

If Nigeria was not a failed state when bombs were raining on
towns and cities in Kano, Kaduna, Plateau, Borno, Yobe, FCT, and
other states, is it now that such bombings have stopped that
Nigeria will be described as a ‘failing’ state? If Nigeria
was not a ‘failing’ state in those years that Christian and Muslim
worshippers had to be screened to even enter their places of
worship, is it now that the siege on places of worship has ceased
that Nigeria will be described as a ‘failing’ state?

It is sad that we have forgotten where we were in terms of the
state of insecurity just a few years back. Let me mention some
instances that will put things in a better perspective. Thanks to
our security agencies, we have just celebrated another Christmas
and New Year without rain of bombs.

Few would remember that in 2010, 2011, and 2012, Christmas Eve
or Christmas Day attacks left hundreds dead or injured. What about
the attack on the UN Complex in Abuja in August

2011; the bombing of media houses in Abuja and Kaduna in April
2012 and the killing of about 40 students in Mubi, Adamawa State,
in October 2012?

Have we forgotten that over 80 towns and villages were attacked
and razed, with casualties, by Boko Haram in Borno State alone?
Have we forgotten the constant attacks on military and security
formations like Giwa Barracks (Maiduguri), Mohammed Kur Barracks
(Bama), Monguno Barracks (Monguno), Airforce Base (Maiduguri), New
Prison (Maiduguri), and numerous police stations?

The fact that these attacks and bombings have stopped is a
testimony to the progress we have made in tackling terrorism which,
by the way, is not like a conventional warfare. The stoppage of the
attacks didn’t happen by accident.

It is therefore mischievous for anyone to discountenance the
progress we have made in tackling insecurity, in building and
upgrading infrastructure, and in diversifying the economy, among
others.

The federal government rejects this characterization of Nigeria
as a ‘failing’ state, which is a combination of the wishful
thinking of naysayers and the evil machinations of those who don’t
wish Nigeria well.

Gentlemen, the federal government has sustained the fight
against terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminal elements
across the country especially in the North East and the North West
Regions.

The recent swift response and rescue of the 344 kidnapped
Kankara schools boys in Katsina State from bandits attest to this.
The President has continued to provide all the necessary platforms
on land, air and sea to support the fight against criminals and
terrorists in the country.

AGRICULTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE AND POWER

Amid the challenges of insecurity, which the Administration is
tackling headlong, Nigeria has continued to make steady progress in
many areas, including infrastructural development, agriculture and
power.

In agriculture, the federal government, within the period under
review, inaugurated “The Green Imperative,’’ which is a 10-year
agricultural programme amounting to $1.2 billion targeting the
creation of five million jobs and injection of $10 billion into the
economy.

The Green Imperative is a Nigeria-Brazil bilateral agriculture
development that will be implemented over a period of five to 10
years and the funding will come from the Development Bank of Brazil
(BNDES) and Deutsche Bank, The Initiative will lead to the
reactivation of six motor assembly plants in the six geopolitical
zones of the country for assembling tractors and other implements,
with importation of the Completely Knocked Down (CKD) parts of
about 5,000 tractors and numerous implements for local assembly
annually for a period of 10 years.

Also, through the Anchor Borrowers programme, more than N200
billion has been made available since the inception of the scheme
in 2015 to support over 1.5 million farmers in the production of
rice, wheat, cassava, poultry, soya beans, groundnut, maize, cotton
and fish. Thanks to this scheme, Nigeria is now on the verge of
attaining self-sufficiency in rice production.

In the area of power, following an agreement with German company
Siemens in July 2019 to boost power supply in Nigeria, the stage is
set for the perennial power problem to become a thing of the
past.

Under the three-phase agreement, Nigerians will enjoy 7,000
megawatts of reliable power supply by the end of 2021 (phase 1),
11,000 megawatts by the end of 2023 (phase 2) and 25,000 megawatts
in the third phase.

In the area of infrastructure, the President this year virtually
inaugurated the 326-kilometre Itakpe-Ajaokuta-Warri rail line,
which has suffered a setback in the last 30 years. It is expected
that close to one million passengers and 3.5 million tons of
freight will be conveyed along the rail line annually.

Passenger service has also commenced on the Lagos-Ibadan
railway, ahead of the project’s inauguration in January 2021. The
Lagos-Ibadan rail line is a double-track standard gauge rail, the
first of its kind in West Africa, and the first leg of the Lagos to
Kano rail line.

Block by block, President Buhari is reviving and modernizing the
country’s rail sector for a better conveyance of passengers and
goods and in order to give the nation’s economy a shot in the arm.
The Loko-Oweto Bridge over River Benue is now 97% completed.

The 1.8-kilometre bridge links the northern and southern part of
the country across the River Benue, achieving a drastic cut in
travel time. And the federal government is constructing or
renovating 37 bridges across the country, including the Third
Mainland Bridge in Lagos, the Second Niger Bridge, the Ikom Bridge
in Cross River, the Murtala Mohammed Bridge in Koton Karfe, Kogi
State, the Tatabu Bridge linking Niger and Kwara States, the Isaac
Boro Bridge in Port Harcourt and the Tamburawa Bridge in Kano
State.

The Federal Government also completed and inaugurated the Akanu
Ibiam International Airport in Enugu for scheduled flights. The
rehabilitation of the runway and other associated work were
executed in line with ICAO standard.

BORDER DRILL

As you are all aware, gentlemen, four land borders have now been
reopened on the directive of Mr President. The borders are those in
Seme, Illela, Maigatari, and Mfun.

The opening is the culmination of a border drill, code-named
”EXERCISE SWIFT RESPONSE”, that was launched on August 20th 2019 as
part of efforts to secure the land and maritime borders in the
South South, South West, North Central and North West zones from
smuggling and irregular migration, as well as boost national
economy and strengthen border security The Exercise is being
coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA),
and comprises the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian
Immigration Service (NIS), the Armed Forces of Nigeria as well as
the Nigeria Police force (NPF) and other security and intelligence
agencies.

I can report to you, gentlemen, that over a year into the
Exercise, it is a huge success, having saved resources and enhanced
national security. The importation of drugs and proliferation of
small arms, which usually fuel violent extremism and terrorism in
the country, have been significantly curtailed.

For instance, 95 per cent of illicit drugs and weapons that are
being used for acts of terrorism and kidnapping in the country
comes in through our porous borders. However, since the border
drill started, this importation has been drastically reduced.

The agricultural sector has also received a boost from the
drill, with rice production now nearing the level of
self-sufficiency for the country and poultry production at a high
level. As at 17 December 2020, 1,375 irregular migrants have been
arrested while seizures so far include; 157,511-50kg bags of
parboiled foreign rice; 10,447 bags of NPK fertilizer used for
making explosives and 18,630 Jerrycans of vegetable oil.

The total monetary value of the seized items is about
₦12,362,574,090.50. I commend our security operatives for
displaying a high level of professionalism and unflinching
commitment to this national assignment.

CONCLUSION

Gentlemen, the year 2020 has been a challenging year,
undoubtedly one of the most challenging years for the country.

A global pandemic that triggered an economic recession, a
heightened security challenge and an unnecessary violence that
stemmed from what started as a peaceful protest are just some of
the challenges.

It is to the credit of the Buhari Administration that it tackled
these challenges headlong. Thanks to the several complementary
fiscal, real sector and monetary interventions proactively
introduced by the government to forestall a far worse decline of
the economy and alleviate the negative consequences of the
pandemic, the current recession will not last long, and Nigeria
will soon return to positive growth.

Nigeria will witness an improved security in 2021, as Mr
President has continued to provide the armed forces and other
security agencies with whatever they require to function better,
both in terms of platforms, logistics and capacity development.

And, as Mr President said in his New Year broadcast, the
security apparatus and personnel of the armed forces and the police
are to be re-energised and reorganised, with a view to enhancing
their capacity to engage, push back and dismantle the operations of
both internal and external extremist and criminal groups waging war
against our communities in some parts of the country.

The good news is that a number of the platforms we have been
expecting to pep up the battle against terrorists and bandits are
due to arrive in the New Year.

While at this, please permit me to salute all our security
personnel for their sacrifice, dedication to duty and patriotism.
The nation is in their debt for their service.

Let me also take this opportunity to condemn the constant
infantile press releases by the unserious, unimaginative and drab
opposition, which misconstrues opposition as constantly shooting
down anything the government of the day does or bad mouthing
whatever Mr President does or says.

There is more to opposition than predictable and
bring-it-down-at-all-cost media interventions. They messed up in
government, and they are messing up even more in opposition. No
lessons learnt either way.

Finally, let me say this: Doomsday predictions
about Nigeria will not come to pass. Nigeria will not
become a failed state, but will rise to become a more respected
member of the comity of nations.

We thank all Nigerians for their support and wish them a happy
new year. And to you here, thank you for honouring our invitation
and, once again, best wishes for a better year in 2021.