Nigerians hold rally, pass vote of confidence on President

Some Nigerians took to the streets of Abuja on Tuesday, February 14, 2017, to pass a vote confidence on the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration.

Organiser of the rally, Truth and Justice Movement of Nigeria said the rally was organised to 'show love' and celebrate the achievements of President Buhari.

Speaking for the group, Johnson Ondoma noted that President Buhari has fulfilled his promises to "reinvent" Nigeria amongst the comity of nations by defeating terrorism and corruption in the country.

"The rally is important because as commoners, we express ourselves through public actions and not politicians and contractors who prefer to discuss governance in the state house and lobbies of hotels," Ondoma said.

Ondoma said despite repeated attempt to portray the Buhari administration of non performance, Nigerians know that the present administration in the last two years has achieved far better than it's predecessor in areas of anti-corruption, infrastructure and security.

"Those who are sincere will acknowledge the investment in infrastructure that is now bringing improvement to roads and other critical national assets," he said.

"Unlike in the past when the money for these road contracts were usually shared and made to circulate round, the funds released are now actually going into getting the jobs done.

"If people are not getting slush funds passed down to them it means they have to review their personal economic activities within the reality of an anti-corruption era.

"There have also been several social security programmes being implemented by the government to ensure that economically disadvantaged people are not left to weather the difficulties they are facing alone. This has never happened before and it is something we should be objective enough to commend."

He said it is to the credit of President Buhari’s anti-corruption efforts that "these thieves" are being exposed

"$9.8 million was discovered in a safe at the house of a former Group Managing Director of NNPC, Andrew Yakubu, which he declared as gifts kept as housekeeping change. A $37.5 million property belonging to Diezani Alison-Madueke was uncovered in Banana Island, Lagos. Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed revealed that $151 million was recovered in stolen funds. The list goes on.

"Dear compatriots, please tell me what economy can survive with this magnitude of theft and not undergo depression? By now one should even be worried if the Americans still have dollars left to spend given the way the kleptomaniacs in our country have hoarded the greenback in underground safes.

"They were the ones that collaborated to make the multi-billion dollars theft possible.

"In addition to this historical sabotage of the economy by those in power, their boys in the creeks are damaging oil export infrastructure under the guise of being Niger Delta militants. These are the men who do not want to do any work but want to be placed on the dole. They are the ones that have further worsened the economy," he added.

The protesters thereafter proceeded to Aso Rock Villa in company of loud music and security personnel.