Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed that militants were unleashed on his government in the early days of his administration.

He has again reiterated that if re-elected, he will recover all stolen funds including the $16 billion spent on power, adding that he won’t disappoint in his second coming.

Buhari made the disclosure while addressing party supporters in Abuja in continuation of his presidential campaigns across the country.

According to him, with little resources available to the present All Progressives Congress (APC) led government, he has achieved a lot in terms of provision of critical infrastructure in various sectors of the economy across the country.

He said, “When we came, the price of crude from over $100 average, went down to $37 and $38 and then the militants were unleashed on this administration but we have now overcome those difficulties.”

He told party supporters at the Eagles Square, that his administration has achieved on the campaign promises it made in 2015, security, economy and the fight against corruption.

“I want to remind everybody where the country was before we came in in May 2015 where we are now and what we have been able to do with the resources available to us.

“You residents of Abuja know a lot our three fundamental campaign aspirations security, economy and fighting corruption. In security, the people of the northeast and the people of Abuja can know much better. Book Haram were holding more than 17 local governments in the northeast when we came, they are not holding any local government now.

“But what they are doing is indoctrinating young men and women, wrap them up with explosives and send them to soft targets, mosques, market places, motor parks and so on.

“And then, we had the problem of herders and stagnant farmers in Benue state, that we have looked after it. The problem of people who are just looking for trouble and they find something from you especially in Zamfara state. Those two are being looked after by the security agencies. On the economy, we are very lucky, but unfortunately, Nigeria has been under estimated,” he said.

President Buhari add that “We had in agriculture in the last three years since we came. What the government did was to get partners that are available at half the price it used to be and thank God we hardly import rice now, more than 90 percent of rice import has stopped and the money we realized, we are ploughing it back to infrastructure.

“You know the condition of our roads, you know the condition of the railway, it was virtually killed and you know there was no power.

“The previous government admitted without anybody asking them that they spent $16 billion on power, you know more than I do, where is the power, where is the money? Stolen. My point will come, when I talk about bribery and corruption which is the third undertaking we made, those people who said they spent $16 billion on power eventually they will account for it.”

Meanwhile, Militants and ex-militants in the Niger Delta region have endorsed the reelection bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.

They announced this at the end of a workshop in Port Harcourt, Rivers state capital, on Wednesday.

In a statement released after the meeting, the militants said they believe that the interest of the region would be well served under Buhari, adding that, “the Niger Delta is the most important region of Nigeria and also produces over 2 million barrels of oil daily which is the economic bedrock of the country which therefore makes peace a pre-requisite for that sustainable development of the Niger Delta and Nigeria as a whole.

“Participants agreed and that the overall interest of the Niger Delta should be the guarding principle of all political considerations in the run-up to the 2019 presidential elections.

“Participants observed that since politics is a game of interest, and having realized that the interest of the Niger Delta would be better served by the incumbent president of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari.

“Participants also considered other presidential candidates in the 2019 presidential elections and unanimously endorsed Muhammadu Buhari in the February 16, presidential elections and urged all leaders and ex-agitators to vote en-mass for him.