President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday said some international groups were behind Boko Haram activities in the country.
Buhari spoke during a Presidential Lunch organized for him by Kano State Government during a one day official visit, a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports says.
”When we came to power in 2015, Boko Haram was in total control in 13 of the 17 Local Government Areas of Borno State as only four were in control of the government then.
Buhari told the gathering that he suspected there was an international group that wanted to destroy Nigeria, adding that, “If not, how can Boko (western education) be Haram?”
“They have come to stop us from tapping our development from lake Chad.
“But we have managed to show Nigerians and the rest of the world that we have so many natural resources there,” he said.
” We have to pray harder and thank God, we’ll fight for our land from the international groups that are trying to destroy Nigeria.
”We are very lucky that this government has done well and Governor Zulum of Borno State, who has done extremely well.
”I have a story to share with you that somebody told me. That a permanent secretary was at home when someone called him that Governor Zulum was in his office.
”I am very happy that Nigerians have shown me support. They identified with me and I identified with them.
“I want you to recall that between 1999 and 2019, NNPC production was 2.1 billion barrels a day at the cost of 100 dollars per barrel.”
According to him, Nigeria was earning 100 dollars per barrel and it is producing 2.1 million barrels per day but look at our infrastructure.
He explained that those in charge in those years were going around not only Nigeria but the world, saying they were wonderful but they could not explain what they had done.
“The cost of petroleum today has gone down to about 37 dollars per barrel which only1.5 million barrels is produced and yet we have put in place a lot of infrastructure.
” Looking at what we have been able to do. I assure you that we have a wonderful country.
” I have been a governor, I have been a minister and I have been a Head of State, fought in the civil war.
“We have to thank God with what we have in the country today”, the president said.
Earlier, Gov Abdullahi Ganduje appreciated President Buhari for identifying with the good people of Kano state.