President Bola Tinubu has urged for a unified purpose and enhanced collaboration among the federal government, state governors, and members of the National Assembly to advance national development objectives.
The President conveyed this message while hosting state governors and the leadership of the National Assembly in Lagos on Friday, as reported by his media aide, Ajuri Ngelale.
Led by Vice-President Kashim Shettima, the delegation included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, among others.
Representing the President, Vice-President Shettima expressed optimism regarding Nigeria’s economic revitalization and stressed the importance of collective efforts to propel the nation forward.
He urged unity and collaboration among all stakeholders to achieve shared prosperity and promised a brighter future for the nation under President Tinubu’s guidance.
“Let us unite, rally around our leader, and catapult this nation to a greater pedestal. By December, I hope we will have cause to celebrate. Let us coalesce to take the nation to a greater pedestal,” Vice-President Shettima said.
Emphasizing President Tinubu’s role as a unifying leader transcending ethnic and religious line, the Vice-President noted that the gathering of 27 governors in Lagos, along with the leadership of the National Assembly and some former governors, bears the testimony of a detribalized leader who has embraced all.
”This gathering cuts across ethnic, religious, and political lines. Here, we have Pastor Eno of Akwa Ibom and Father Hyacinth of Benue, and as the President was seated, he was asking, ‘Where is Wammako, where is Yari’? That is the hallmark of true leadership. What binds us together supersedes whatever it is that may divide us.”
”The future of the black man rests on Nigeria to make or mar. Our economy has turned the corner. By the coming months, the economy will roar back to glory,” the Vice-President said.
Senate President Akpabio commended the state governors for emulating President Tinubu’s leadership style, characterized by listening to diverse voices and consulting widely with the people, irrespective of political affiliations.
“The governors are doing well. I can say so because I have been there before,” Senator Akpabio said.
Akpabio expressed confidence in President Tinubu’s leadership, highlighting that the President garners widespread support from Nigerians across various political affiliations.
“As you coast home to victory for a second term, may all the governors seated here also coast home to a second term victory in their states,” Senate President Akpabio prayed.
Governor AbdulRazaq, in his comments, voiced backing for the 700km Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, emphasizing its substantial potential to positively impact the nation upon completion.
He commended the President’s endeavors in enhancing economic stability and elevating living standards, underscoring the favorable advancements in the country, such as the stabilization of the exchange rate and the decline in food prices.
He credited these improvements to the President’s initiatives and also praised the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s allocation of funds for 8,800 primary healthcare centers.
“We commend your efforts because the ship is gradually turning. We have seen how the exchange rate of the naira against the dollar is coming down. The cost of food is coming down. The dry season harvest is commencing soon. Things are getting better, and there is light at the end of the tunnel,” the Governor said.
He encouraged President Tinubu to persist in his endeavors to attain economic stability.
Additionally, the governor conveyed appreciation for the assistance extended by the Federal Government to states, especially in the distribution of grains to mitigate food shortages.
”We are here to support you, and we also thank you for the support that you are giving to the sub-nationals. Trucks are wheeling up across the nation, distributing grains. I have received, and most of the states have.
”Because of what you are doing, those who are hoarding food items are releasing them, and that is why the prices of food are coming down,” he said.
Governor AbdulRazaq reiterated the governors’ commitment to supporting the President’s initiatives and pledged to continue complementing the efforts of the federal government in driving progress and prosperity across the nation.