President Muhammadu Buhari gives a robust defence of his administration’s seventy-seven trillion naira debt.

According to Buhari, the loans were largely used to fund capital projects for the people’s benefit.

He explained that his focus on infrastructure was a deliberate action to create wealth and stem poverty.

Buhari also justified the closure of Nigeria’s borders with neighbouring countries and the appointment of retired Colonel Hameed Ali as Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service.

The President spoke during the inauguration of some landmark projects of his outgoing government, including the Second Niger Bridge, which was named after him by Southeast governors.

The other projects inaugurated virtually by Buhari are the Ikom Bridge in Cross River State, the Loko-Oweto Bridge linking Nasarawa and Benue states, a section of the Kaduna-Kano dual carriageway, federal secretariats in Anambra, Bayelsa and Zamfara states as well as Customs new headquarter building in Abuja.

The President said the funds were used to buoy economic development, create more employment and make Nigerians prosperous.

The President, who emphasised that he shared the concerns of Nigerians over the debts, reminded them that the wealth of other nations was traceable to their investments in infrastructure made possible by debts redeemed over decades.

He explained that the Second Niger Bridge, the 365-kilometre Abuja-Kano highway of which 200 kilometres have been completed and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway were all funded partly from dividends from investments in the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG), repatriated funds from overseas, and loot recoveries.

The President named the federal secretariats in Bayelsa, Anambra, and Zamfara states after former President Goodluck Jonathan; Ebele Okeke and Yahaya Gusau.

Inaugurating the N19.6 billion Customs headquarters, the President said Nigerians who initially criticised him for closing the nation’s land borders eventually appreciated it.

He explained that he shut the borders to encourage Nigerians to produce food for their consumption.

Buhari restated his plan to retire to his country home Daura in Katsina State, which according to him is far away from Abuja but close to Niger Republic where he has people that could defend him.

He said aside from his houses in Daura and Kaduna, he refused to even build a school or study abroad to ward off accusations of misappropriation of public funds.

He said he nominated Ali as Comptroller-General of Customs because of his experience and competence.

“My decision for Hameed Ali to come to Customs was a deliberate one. I brought him to ensure that I have peace of mind.”

Buhari also said the new Customs Act, which he recently signed, would enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Customs administration.

Ali, who hailed the President, said the increase in the salaries of personnel had made them less susceptible to corruption.

“We must mention the game-changing intervention of Mr President to rid the NCS of corruption and put it on a path of integrity,” he said.

Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, said the projects of the All Progressives Congress(APC)-led government had impacted Nigerians.

He explained that the economic activities that took place during the construction of the projects had resulted in pushing back multi-dimensional poverty.

He listed other benefits of the projects, including job creation, reduced travel time in comfort, business efficiency, and value appreciation of properties.