President Bola Tinubu has said a change of value system is imperative for Nigerians to progress.
He, however, declared that no matter the challenge the country faces, he will never turn his back on her.
Tinubu spoke in Lagos when he received a delegation from the National Assembly (NASS) on Monday evening, who came to felicitate with him on Eid-el-Kabir.
The delegation, led by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio, included the deputy Senate president, Jibrin Barau and the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, among others.
The president said, “Good economics at a harsh time is the challenge we must face. As I said in my speech, no matter how challenging it can be, I will not turn my back on Nigeria.”
The president, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, charged the citizens to change their mindset about Nigeria if the nation is to overcome its current challenges.
“The need (for some citizens) to change the rent-seeking mindset and become more productive to the economy is a challenge -the need to stop smuggling and all economic sabotage.
“Why should we have people removing rail tracks, stealing electric cables and sabotaging the economy? We must embrace the campaign to change our value system. We must tell our people that our challenge is changing our mindset about our country,” Tinubu said.
The president commended the leadership of the National Assembly for the support extended to his administration, which has resulted in some of the important developments recorded by his administration.
“It is great pride for me to have the best of partners in the National Assembly. We have to drill down and be all-inclusive in our bid to satisfy our people. It is daunting, but we cannot run away from the fact that this country must survive the hardship,” Tinubu said.
He acknowledged the challenges and the task ahead, assuring the nation of his unwavering determination to turn things around.
“Yes, there is poverty; there is suffering in the land. We are not the only people facing such a challenge, but we must face it ourselves. We must find a way to eliminate banditry and terrorism so that farmers can bring out food from the farmland. If you do not have good roads to bring the food to the population, even if you grow the food and lose 60-70 percent to damages, you will pay the price,” Tinubu said.
In an interaction with journalists after the meeting, Akpabio said he came with the leadership of the National Assembly to pay homage and felicitate the president on the occasion of Eid-el-Kabir and to thank him for the purposeful leadership in the first year of his administration.
On what Nigerians should expect from the legislature in the days ahead, Akpabio said, “Looking forward, the National Assembly will tinker with some existing legislations to improve on the nation’s ease of doing business.”
After meeting with the leadership of the National Assembly, the president proceeded to a meeting with the Oba of Lagos, His Royal Majesty Oba Rilwan Akiolu.