President Muhammadu Buhari has reportedly stated that his regime would be handing over a peaceful and prosperous Nigeria to his successor.
This was reportedly disclosed by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, following a dinner, Buhari attended in honour of the 2022 Committee of Business, Political, Media and Civil Society Leaders.
The president stated that, ”I am gradually entering my final year in office. It is a period I intend to spend not only on consolidating on the achievements of the past seven years but also to leave a legacy for a united, peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria.”
He noted that ”I take this initiative to mean that you all intend to collaborate with this administration in that direction. For those among you who are politicians, you must look beyond gaining power to how you can leverage public positions in the process of societal change. To the businessmen and women among you, there is great glory in public service.”
He probed that, ”The question that should be uppermost always is: How do we leverage our business endowment for the greater good of our country?
He maintained that ”I am delighted that members of the Nigerian elite have woken up to the fact that the task of changing this society is a task for all of us, whether we are in the private or public sector. Knowing that, we have enormous challenges as a nation, but they are not beyond our capacity to overcome if we embrace a new approach.”
Buhari made it known that, ”We cannot retreat to our ethnic cocoons, nor can we continue to seek solace in our past. We must champion the idea of a Nigeria where every citizen would be proud to call their own. That is the charge before you.”
The president pointed out that, ”As we all know, I have been very critical of the Nigerian elites, essentially because some of us have not always demonstrated that we can rise above personal gain, political partisanship as well as ethnic and religious differences when the situation demands that we all speak and or act as one in the interest of our country.”
He disclosed that, ”There are also many among our elites for whom profit remains the only motivation for any and every enterprise.”
He remarked that, ”But now, I feel heartened that a more collaborative social enterprise model for resolving our common challenges is being forged.”
He affirmed that, ”I must commend this initiative and its conveners. This is the kind of spirit I have always advocated because it is what we need at this time as we seek to build our society for peace, security and prosperity through dialogue while narrowing the gap between rich and poor.”
The president posited that, ”It is our desire to finish strong in the next 16 months and ensure all hands are on deck for the last lap. We are doubling our efforts against all forms of insecurity, equipping our armed forces and strengthening the police.”
He gave assurance that, ”We are determined to continue the war against corruption and fight poverty, we remain focused on building an all-inclusive economic opportunity for all citizens. ”
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