President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appealed to Nigerians to give his administration more time to complete what he described as the work of correcting the mistakes and missed opportunities of previous governments.
Tinubu made the appeal through the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, during a special Juma’at prayer session at the National Mosque in Abuja on Friday, held as part of activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
The President urged Nigerians not to lose hope, assuring them that peace and development would return to the country as his administration’s policies and reforms continue.
Abbas, who represented Tinubu at the event, conveyed the President’s message, saying:
“My message to the country on behalf of the Mr President, the Senate President and all members of the National Assembly is that the citizens should not lose hope.
“Peace is coming back to this country. Development is coming back to this country. Things will get better as we progress in this democracy.”
Tinubu said his administration was focused on addressing what he described as the cumulative mistakes and missed opportunities of previous governments.
He urged Nigerians to pay attention to the direction of the present administration, which he said was working to correct longstanding problems.
“More importantly, citizens should look at the focus of the government of today, that the mistakes of the past, the cumulative mistakes and the missed opportunities of the past, are being corrected in this particular administration,” he said.
The President also expressed confidence in the direction of the country, saying Nigeria was on the right path and that the sacrifices made by citizens would eventually yield positive results.
“And I want to categorically make it clear that Nigeria is on the right path; that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and that Nigerians have finished making sacrifices for this country to be great again,” Tinubu said.
He subsequently appealed for more time for his administration to continue and complete its programmes.
“We should give this government more opportunity for it to come back and finish the good work,” he said.
Tinubu Speaks On Nigeria At 66
Reflecting on Nigeria’s 66 years of independence, Tinubu described the country as having reached maturity, while acknowledging the challenges and missed opportunities experienced since independence.
“This anniversary, the 66th, by all accounts signifies Nigeria has come of age. The person of 66 years cannot be called a child anymore. Nigeria has become mature, even though when we reflect on the journey from independence to date, we may say it was a mixed journey,” he said.
The President acknowledged that Nigeria had faced numerous challenges since gaining independence but expressed gratitude for the country’s survival and continued unity.
“Nigeria was bedevilled with a lot of issues in the past and opportunities as well. But we thank Almighty Allah for granting us the life and the peace for us to witness this very historic event today,” he said.
The Federal Government has scheduled a series of activities ahead of the October 1 Independence Day anniversary, including a church service, public lecture and a nationwide broadcast by Tinubu.
