President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday said he invited Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo to London on July 11 because he was impressed with the
way he used his intellect to run Nigeria as acting president.
Speaking at the Council Chambers of the Aso Rock
Presidential Villa in Abuja at a meeting with the Nigerian Governors Forum,
Buhari described Osinbajo’s efforts as commendable, saying he personally
thanked him in the UK.
It was the president’s first meeting with state governors
since he returned from his medical vacation in the United Kingdom last
Saturday.
Osinbajo acted as president from May 7 to August 19 during
the president’s absence.
“The efforts by the vice president are commendable. He
used his intellect to run all over the place. I was seeing him 24 hours on NTA.
I congratulate him. I allowed him to come and see me to thank him personally
for what he has done,” Buhari said.
He thanked the governors for their leadership approaches in
their respective states.
“I had so much time to watch NTA. I heard so much
information about the states. I am very pleased with the states, you are all doing
your best and you are lucky your best is proving to be good enough on
agriculture and solid minerals. You are succeeding in agriculture because I
think people cannot afford foreign food,” he said.
The president said he was very happy with the national
prayers for his recovery, adding that the love shown him by Nigerians had
greatly boosted his morale.
He said a group of protesters visited the Abuja House in
London, sang the Nigerian anthem and asked him to return home.
The president said the devaluation of the naira was not the
making of his administration.
“It may not favour us, but it is something we cannot change.
Some people were asking me if we should be stricter on the borders, but I want
to thank God that last year and this year are better than what it used to be,”
he added.
The chairman of the NGF and Zamfara State Governor,
Abdulaziz Yari, said many states could not pay salaries before Buhari became
president, acknowledging that the bailout funds and Paris Club loan refunds
helped cushion the effect of recession in the states.
Also speaking, Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi assured
Buhari of the forum’s commitment to national unity and pledged its support for
the president.
By Isiaka Wakili
