President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigerians must work together as a people to ensure speedy transformation of the nation’s economy for the general progress of the country.
President Buhari stated this when he received representatives of residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), who paid him Sallah homage at his official residence in the presidential villa, Abuja, on Friday.
He said the call had become imperative so as to enable the nation explore its resources which hitherto had been abandoned in the past years.
The president, who praised the immediate past Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Kayode Fayemi, for his contributions during his tenure as minister, said it would be difficult for him to get his replacement in the cabinet.
“I’m very pleased that we are working very hard collectively as Nigerians and that God in his infinite mercy who knows what is in the heart and not by mouth, will continue to guide us so that we accommodate each other at all times.
“This country is blessed on human and material resources. Here I have to digress and wish my former minister of mines and steel, Kayode Fayemi, well.
“He has been a very hardworking minister, because the ministry he was leading was neglected with the overbearing economic relevance of oil.
“But from the days of mining of tin, columbite, coal and so on, you know this country is blessed.
“Throughout the country, we have solid minerals and I am hoping that Fayemi will succeed to lead again his state. I believe he is a very hardworking person, very patriotic but Nigerian politics is virtually unpredictable.
“We are going to work very hard to fill his space in the executive council so that we keep on exploiting more and more of our solid minerals and less politicising of our petroleum resources.
“I think we have invested so much in this country and we will continue to pray that we stay together and let us develop the necessary confidence, work together as a people, this country is great let us work together so that we can save a lot more and exploit more of the resources that were abandoned so many years ago,’’ he said.
The president called on Nigerians to always exhibit the virtues of honesty, patriotism and hard work to enable them take advantage of the abundant natural resources.
He thanked the FCT Minister and the leadership of the two religious communities (Islam and Christianity) for paying him happy Eid-Fitr.
President Buhari enjoined them to preach to their followers the need to be patriotic and to work harder away from primordial sentiments for the good of the society.
The Minister of the FCT, Muhammed Bello, who led the delegation for the homage, said they were in the presidential villa to felicitate with the president after the successful completion of the Ramadan fasting period.
Mr Bello, who presented a giant Sallah Greeting Card to the President, renewed the loyalty and support of the FCT residents to Buhari administration.
He prayed that Almighty God would continue to guide and protect the President in his efforts toward transforming the country to greater heights.
Senate President Bukola Saraki, who was represented at the event by a colleague, Bala NaAllah, pledged that the National Assembly would continue to partner with the executive arm of government to improve the quality of life of all Nigerians.
