President Bola Tinubu has described the nation’s diversity as an asset that will be used to develop the country.
Speaking Friday at an interactive session with Nigerians in Diaspora after attending a two-day Summit on New Global Financing Pact in Paris, France, the President said: “Nigeria belongs to all of us. Our diversity is an asset if we know how to use it for our prosperity.
“Born of the same father, in the same house except living in different rooms. We must promote unity, stability and economic justice for every one of us.
*Whether you voted for me, or you didn’t vote for me, campaigned for me, or you didn’t campaign for me. I am your president. By the grace of God, I have to work on your behalf and make in Nigeria a turning point for prosperity. So your president is here. I dance for it and I have to continue to be prepared for it.”
President Buhari also disclosed that his pronouncement on subsidy removal in his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023, was inspired by courage because it was not originally in his prepared speech.
Commenting on the recurring issue of fuel subsidy, the President noted that it ought to have been removed by his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, who couldn’t because he lacked courage to do so.
His words: “Making just a few smugglers rich. Some countries were bleaching us. Courage was missing. sometimes i became an advocate of it. Remove this thing but God gave me the opportunity when I danced around, strategize with my team, we won the presidency. and the day I was declared winner I fell almost sick with joy.
“And then Wale Edun and co, we started debating, putting my speech together without the question on subsidy. I got to the podium, I was possessed with courage and I said “subsidy is gone.’
They thought it was a joke of the century until I called NNPC. We are tired of feeding smugglers, making few people rich and subsidizing the next door neighbor.
“I met with the President of Benin Republic, everybody is equal now, we are friends. We are conjoined twins joined by the hips, how we will separate each other is with this fuel subsidy. Let us see whether we will survive or not but we are going to survive.”
On the financial system he inherited which he described as rotten and the fate of the suspended Central Bank if Nigeria (CBN)’s Governor, Godwin Emefiele, the President said “then the financial system was rotten. Few people making … with our money and then you yourself, you stopped sending money home to our poor parents. Several windows that is gone now, is gone. The man is in the hands of authorities, something is being done about that, they will sort themselves out.”
He also told Nigerians in Diaspora he was once in their shoes struggling to make ends meet in the United States and United Kingdom saying
“I’ve been in America, in the UK, I have been a night guard, security, a door man in America. But I have achieved my aim”.
President Tinubu also assured Nigerians of repositioning the education and health sectors, while the ongoing reforms on the economy will be sustained and expanded, with a view to relieving families struggling with the burden of poverty and insecurity.
“To all of you, our hope is renewed,’’ he said, welcoming a plethora of suggestions going forward for the economy, and explaining some of the short-term and long-term framework for providing growth opportunities for individuals, families and institutions.
The President said the interest of Nigerians will always be protected, even in engagements with the international community, governments and multilateral institutions on global issues relating to climate change, energy transition, food security, trade, security and diplomacy.
“We have transport challenges, electricity challenges, infrastructural challenges and others. I let out the giant elephant of fuel subsidy without bringing down the house,’’ he said.
President Tinubu said he was presented with an option of meeting with a handful of Nigerians in France, but he preferred a larger number, pledging to be persistent, determined and focused on reforms for a better country.
Earlier in his speech, Nigeria’s Ambassador to France, Kayode Laro, thanked the President for accepting the proposal for the meeting with Nigerians on short notice and tight schedule, while the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Ereluwa, introduced some of the experts in France.
“We have Nigerians who are doing great today among us. We also have the diaspora day and diaspora investment summit that provides opportunities for us to celebrate them, and attract new interests,’’ she said.
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
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