President Muhammadu Buhari has lamented what he described as the ‘mercilessness of some Nigerians’ to development, pleading with citizens to be considerate towards the country.
He said despite shutting land borders to stop smuggling of goods and illegal arms and giving security agencies order to shoot anyone carrying AK 47 illegally, yet they have not stopped.
Buhari spoke on Friday after receiving briefings from the Professor Doyin Salami-led Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) at its 6th regular meeting in the State House, Abuja.
He decried the situation in which some unscrupulous people tried to undermine every policy of government, irrespective of the good it was meant to achieve for the country.
According to a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, Buhari recalled that despite efforts to regulate importation and proliferation of some commodities by shutting land borders for more than a year, some Nigerians still found ways to circumvent the barriers to perpetuate smuggling of illicit commodities.
“Some people are mercilessly against this country,” the President said. “We closed the borders to control the smuggling of petroleum products, and check the influx of smuggled goods, arms and ammunition.
“That was when the Comptroller General of Customs called me, saying 40 tankers laden with petrol had been impounded. I told him to sell the fuel, sell the trucks, and put the money in the treasury.
“They still brought arms and ammunition into the country, brought in rice in vehicles and motorcycles. I said shoot anyone found illegally with AK-47, yet they haven’t stopped. People must show consideration for their own country,” he said.