President Muhammadu Buhari says he’ll use his second term in office to improve the lives of Nigerians by paying close attention to the poor and those on the back waters of society.

Addressing leaders of various communities from five Local Government Areas of Daura Emirate, Katsina who paid him a visit on Tuesday, as part of Eid El-Kabir celebration, the President says he’s convinced that majority of Nigerians understand who he is and his mission, on account of which they returned him for a second term in office with larger vote margin than 2015.

Says he, “You know how much I laboured to get here. I ran three times in the past. The fourth time, God used technology to do it for me. The fifth time I ran (February 23, 2019), I went to all the states of the federation. The turnout of crowds was overwhelming.

“Truly, the people know and understand my mission. This is what the votes showed. The administration will dwell on our campaign issues — security, economy and corruption. We will fight for the poor.”

In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Garba Shehu, Buhari emphasized the important place of agriculture under his administration, promising to appoint a Minister who is knowledgeable and will know how to promote interest and investment in the sector.

According to him, “I will appoint a Minister who knows agriculture and its role in providing jobs and growing our economy. You have seen how we broke the fertiliser jinx in the country. We will do more to better the lots of our farmers. Agriculture is our strength.”

President Buhari expressed happiness with the changing attitude of young people to agriculture, with many earning respectable incomes, urging all of those without regular incomes to return to the farm.

In his remarks, Mr Yusuf Bello Mai’ Aduwa, one of the leaders of the delegation, thanked Nigerians for giving the President a second mandate to lead the country for another four years, stressing that he will not let the country down.

Another community leader, Mr Mohammed Saleh says the communities under the Daura Emirate were grateful to the President for signing a bill to establish a Federal Polytechnic in Daura, after they had complained that the area needed a tertiary institution to encourage the youth to pursue higher education.

In her remarks, Mrs Talatu Nasir, a Permanent Secretary with the Ministry of Information, reveals that the Buhari government had empowered many women, with many already owning businesses like poultry and livestock farms.

The Daura community offered special prayers for the President, urging him to pursue the vision for a better Nigeria with the fear of God, courage to stand by the truth always, and mindful of the needs of the poor and underprivileged.

President Buhari on Tuesday also disclosed that he has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop providing foreign exchange for importation of food into the country, with the steady improvement in agricultural production, and attainment of full food security.

The President, who hosted All Progressives Congress (APC) governors to Eid-el-Kabir lunch at his country home in Daura, said the foreign reserve will be conserved and utilized strictly for diversification of the economy, and not for encouraging more dependence on foreign food import bills.

“Don’t give a cent to anybody to import food into the country,’’ he said.

Buhari noted that some states like Kebbi, Ogun, Lagos, Jigawa, Ebonyi and Kano had already taken advantage of the Federal Government’s policy on agriculture with huge returns in rice farming, urging more states to plug into the ongoing revolution to feed the nation.

“We have achieved food security, and for physical security we are not doing badly,’’ he said.

President Buhari said he was particularly delighted that young Nigerians, including graduates, had started exploring agric-business and entrepreneurship, with many posting testimonies of good returns on their investments.

President Buhari said the incoming ministers will be “taught’’ and thoroughly guided to ensure they meet the targets of the APC-led government for the people, with regular monitoring of their performances and scaling up of targets by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF).

The President assured that he will attend the Presidential Policy Retreat organized for the Ministers by the OSFG, and insisted on compliance with laid down targets on key sectors of the economy that will directly impact on the livelihood of Nigerians.

In his remarks, the Chairman, Nigerian Governors’ Forum and Governor of Ekiti State, Dr John Kayode Fayemi, said the President’s sense of justice, fairness and forthrightness had turned a major inspiration to Governors on the way forward for the country.

He said the challenges faced by states “were enormous’’, but the Governors had remained undaunted, assuring the President of strong support and “the very best effort’’ to overcome all the obstacles.

The Chairman, Progressive Governors Forum and Governor of Kebbi State, Mr Atiku Bagudu, appreciated the President for the unique leadership style of maintaining a healthy relationship with Governors on individual and collective basis, pointing out that they had been “energized’’ to do more in their states.