According to President Muhammadu Buhari, the nation’s borders are quite broad, and only God could protect it from criminal activity.
He claimed that his choice to block Nigeria’s borders at some time was made with the country’s economy in mind, and that the people would come to accept it.
On Tuesday, the President gave a speech at the Abuja launching of the Nigeria Customs Service’s (NCS) new corporate headquarters.
Buhari reiterated his former stance that, towards the end of his government, he would be distant from Abuja and that he was only speaking for himself.
“Please note that it is more than 1,600 kilometers from Lake Chad to Benin,” he stated. That barrier can only be effectively protected by God. Therefore, you need someone who has the drive and skill to properly manage it.
“I purposefully closed the borders because I know Nigerians order rice, give a Niger address, and then bring the rice here,” the man said. We can achieve what we can. Thank God, Nigeria has such a talented population. We have weather and land. How many countries in the world are as fortunate as Nigeria? Few countries are as fortunate as us. We give God praise for it.
“That border is closing 1,600 kilometers from Lake Chad to Benin, and Nigerians believe they must help their neighbors and other people; they must consume rice from other countries. I said that if you don’t grow what you eat or eat what you grow, you’ll perish. I believe I’m attempting to get my point across.
“In the future, Nigerians will value it because it creates more jobs. Agriculture is once more practiced. They will grow the food that we eat because we own the land. And for those who believe that our neighbors will lose, let’s continue to stand behind them. Let those who are growing too much rice consume it or sell it elsewhere.
In addition, Buhari stated that if someone tried to oppose him after he left office, the people of Nigeria would stand up for him.
The neighborhood is crucial for both personal and governmental reasons, he continued, so when he was elected president, his first trip was to Niger, Chad, and Cameroon. You are in trouble if you can’t win your neighbors’ trust and cooperation. There will be problems for your grandchildren and children.
“It’s a good thing that I got along with my neighbors. I only have six more days before I leave, and I attempt to make travel arrangements to stay as far away from Abuja as possible, so I only spoke a few things about my own belief. I’m lucky that I’m from a place that’s remote from Abuja. I remarked that I get along well with my neighbors and would only say no if forced. The people of Niger will protect me.
Buhari said that he exclusively chose women to serve as ministers of finance due to the cultural presumption that men would feel too important to ask them for favors.
Because of Nigerians’ cultural practices, he elaborated, “I made sure I handed Ministers of Finance to ladies. When women are in authority, men feel too powerful to approach women. So, I’m confident that the Ministry of Finance, where people go to argue for the payment of their contracts, won’t be the same. They’ll feel too huge to approach a woman. I thus make sure a woman is in charge. That really helped me find peace.
After his detention, Buhari said that he moved to Kaduna for the health and education of his children. He described how he lost two of his children to sickle cell disease.
“We moved to Kaduna for my family’s education and health, as these kids had sickle cell anemia,” he stated. My first son, Musa, and a girl were both lost to me. They escaped me. Despite the fact that we were technically susceptible to it in Africa as a whole, we were unaware of it. I had to relocate to Kaduna for my kids’ education and medical needs.
In his remarks, the Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), revealed that the building’s contract, which was first awarded for N2.8 billion in 2005, saw a number of changes.
The contract amount was increased to N9.6 billion in 2012 and then to N19.6 billion in 2022, he said, because the building had to be renovated and extended to conform with FCDA requirements.
Col. Hameed Ali (rtd) was pleased that the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) was able to construct a suitable headquarters that would house highly advanced and digitalized equipment for the Customs.
