President Bola Tinubu has emphasised that the unity of Nigeria can not be traded.
Tinubu, speaking at the Presidential Democracy Day Dinner on Wednesday at the Banquet Hall in the State House, Abuja, pledged to bring Nigeria back to its glory of harvesting.
He described Nigeria’s diversity as unending and stated that it is the best path to success.
“Nigeria is a great country. We enshrined in our national anthem the essence of service. I have seen many governors, both live and on TV, serving their people. Thank you all. In this hall tonight, everybody has forgotten the partisanship colours and embraced that green-white-green, which depicts Nigeria and the values we hold dear to ourselves.
“That is the baton and the reason we say we will hand over a banner without stain to our children and grandchildren. Is it not true that Nigeria is greater than any one of us? That the unity of this country cannot be traded? Nigeria is blessed. Our complexity, yes. Our diversity, is unending, but it is the best road to success”, the President said.
On minimum wage, in a jovial mode, Tinubu said, “We are going to pay what Nigerians can afford. What you can afford, what I can afford, that is what we call cutting your coat according to your size. If you have a size at all.”
He stated that citizenship goes beyond its dictionary definition and encompasses actual character. He urged for increased investment in national orientation to reawaken citizens’ awareness.
The President continued, “The promises that we made, struggling to bring the food prices down. Those bandits must leave the farmers alone, and we will bring Nigeria back to its glory of harvesting. We can do it. We can produce our way out of the misery of complaint.
“We can make Nigeria a tremendously successful country. If we gather as we gather here tonight, encourage our children about the charter of our value system. As they look upon me as the leader to make the changes, what about the rest of you, the rest of your children making those changes too, what do you tell them? How do you teach them?
“Whatever we have to invest in our national orientation, I think we should do it. Distinguished leaders, we have a lot of work that we must do for our country, about our citizens. Citizenship is not just the dictionary meaning of it. It is the actual character. Let’s teach our children to know that as Nigerians, we will do the work we are called upon to do, as one family, one nation under God.”
Responding to the social media buzz about his fall, he explained, “In the morning I skipped, it is all over social media. They were confused whether I was doing buga or babariga, but it is a day to celebrate democracy while doing Idobale (Yoruba cultural way of greeting). I am a traditional Yoruba boy, and I did my Idobale.
“It is a day that is worthy of falling for. We aren’t going to move an inch. I have heard excellent comments and very touching remarks about myself and the past. I thank you all. My sincere gratitude to all of you for standing by me. I promise you I won’t fall.”