President Bola Tinubu emphasized that poverty is a global issue affecting not only Nigerians but people worldwide.
Acknowledging the existence of poverty and hardship in Nigeria, Tinubu stressed the importance of addressing these challenges. He highlighted the need to combat banditry and terrorism to enable farmers to resume their agricultural activities as a crucial step towards alleviating poverty.
In a statement released on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu made these remarks in Lagos on Monday during a visit from a delegation of the National Assembly who came to congratulate him on Eid-el-Kabir.
The delegation, led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, included Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, among others.
Tinubu emphasized the necessity for Nigerians to embrace a change in their value system as a fundamental requirement for national progress.
He said, “Yes, there is poverty; there is suffering in the land. We are not the only people facing such, but we must face our challenges.
“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 you are losing 60-70 per cent to damages, you will pay the price.”
He urged Nigerians to have a change of mindset about the country if Nigeria 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 and all that, stealing electric cables and sabotaging the economy?
“We must embrace the campaign to change our value system. We must tell our people that the challenge we face is for all of us to change our mindset about our country,” Tinubu stressed.
President Tinubu, meanwhile, applauded the leadership of the National Assembly for the support extended to his administration, saying that such has led to some of the important developments recorded by his government.
“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,” he said.
Acknowledging the challenges and the task ahead, Tinubu assured the nation of his “unwavering determination to turn things around.”