Buhari says Expectation of Nigerians Too High in meeting with APC Governors.

Buhari meets APC elect Governors in Abuja.

The President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, has told the All Progressives Congress’ governors-elect, that the expectations of Nigerians are too high hence the need for them to set realistic targets. Buhari said this at a meeting with the APC governors-elect at the Defence House, Abuja, on Monday. Buhari, who was responding to pleas by the incoming
governors that he should prepare a bailout for states to enable them to pay salaries, said, “The expectation is too high and I have started nervously to explain to people that Rome was not built in a day.”

Buhari addressing the APC elect governors in Abuja.

He added that it is sad that the nation is grappling with security challenges while the economy is lying prostrate with most states unable to pay salaries “in spite of the revenue we earned from 1990 till date.” “For this to be corrected, please give the incoming government a chance. Here, I will like to recall what happened during the Abacha regime which led to the emergence of the Petroleum Trust Fund.
“The Abacha regime was a military regime and it thought that the only way was to increase the prices of petroleum products, but they were not taking Nigerians for a ride. “They would have said that if Nigerians decide to riot, they have the guns and so they can have their way. But they decided to tell Nigerians that they were going to increase prices of petroleum products and the money we get, we will put aside for development.

That was how PTF came about. “This time around, under this system, to bounce back with the issue especially with the backlog of salaries which are of immediate concern to individuals and states, I think we should look for a better way to address the issue and think of how to persuade the people to give us a chance to organise the economy immediately and get something to pay salaries,” Buhari said. The President-elect, however, promised to give priority attention to securing the lives and property of Nigerians, explaining that no meaningful development can take place without security.