In a farewell message on Sunday, the outgoing President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), expressed his apologies to Nigerians for the pains and hardships caused by certain policies and programs implemented during his administration’s efforts to steer the country’s economy in the right direction.
President Buhari acknowledged the difficult choices made in revamping the economy and admitted that some of his policies caused temporary pain and suffering for Nigerians.
He stressed, “Some of the decisions were difficult choices, the measures were taken for the overall good of the country.”
“In the course of revamping the economy, we made some difficult choices, most of which yielded the desired results.
While Nigerians had high expectations of his administration, President Buhari stressed that his aim was not to merely appease the expectations superficially.
Instead, he remained committed to addressing the real needs of the citizens, saying one notable achievement in this regard was the comprehensive electoral system reforms.
Addressing the nation, President Buhari stated, “Fellow Nigerians, propelled by your overwhelming support for me and my political party, I embarked on this journey with immense promise and expectation from you.”
“My intention was never to be politically correct, but rather to do what is right and make a meaningful impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians.”
He further added, “These high expectations were justified because, like every ordinary Nigerian, I too grew weary of witnessing our country deviating from the path of righteousness.”
President Buhari expressed gratitude to God, appreciation for the Nigerian people, and a sense of fulfillment. He urged those who felt aggrieved to seek redress through the court system and work together towards a better future. He listed the key achievements of his administration and expressed confidence that Nigeria would be in a better state in 2023 than it was in 2015.
Buhari will hand over power to a new administration today, on May 29, 2023.
