Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on Nigerians to rally around President Bola Tinubu as he works to address the country’s socio-political, economic, and security challenges.
This came as he said that his house in Maiduguri was better than Tinubu’s house in Bourdillon, Lagos, and that there was nothing special about the President’s Bourdillon house.
Shettima spoke in Abuja on Thursday at the launch of a book titled ‘Navigating the Politics of Universal Education Policies in Nigeria’ authored by Prof Modupe Adelabu, a retired professor of Educational Administration at the Department of Educational Management at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Shettima assured Nigerians that the benefits of the tough measures being implemented will soon be evident.
The Vice President emphasised that the focus should not be on lamenting the nation’s past or present difficulties but on finding solutions to the core challenges.
The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, Chief Bisi Akande, Chief Pius Akinyelure, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila, as well as former governors -Otunba Adebayo, Kayode Fayemi, the Mandate Secretary of the Federal Capital Territory on Health Services and Environment, Adedolapo Fasawe, former and serving lawmakers, traditional rulers, and industry leaders were in attendance at the book launch.
Shettima said: “In President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we have a leader that we can invest our trust in. I’m not playing politics, I’m speaking from the heart. I have seen the soul of Bola Tinubu, and he has a good soul.
“He means well for the nation. He wants to live in a place of glory. He is not in power to engage in primitive capital accumulation. He is in power to leave landmarks in the sands of time. He is the most demonised politician in Nigeria. The first time I went to his house at Bourdillon, I was looking forward to seeing a mansion comparable to Buckingham Palace, with gardens, and swimming pools, but there was nothing special about that house. My house in Maiduguri is better than the house in Bourdillon.
“And at the formative stage of the APC, we held a meeting in his house. They served us a variety of meals but he opted to take garri with groundnut for lunch. Since I have known him, he has been using only one wristwatch, and in fact, I dress better than him. He doesn’t even care. He has overcome all those odds to dress well. So we need to rally around this poor man. He has taken some bold steps. The economy that we met was in a huge mess.
“But it wasn’t for us, we were part of the Buhari administration, we cannot deny that. We belong to the political family. It’s not about apportioning blame, but it’s about finding solutions to our nation’s needs. We knew there were challenges. Forget about the politics being played by the Atiku Abubakar and the obedient crowd, they all said they are going to withdraw the fuel subsidy.”
He noted that the economy is now on a path to sustained growth.
“The President had the courage, the political courage, and the willpower to take far-reaching decisions, and it always comes at a price. When a woman is about to give birth, it’s a very painful process but after the child has come forth, it’s a cause for celebration. I believe that posterity will be very kind to this poor man.
“He has taken far-reaching decisions, and the economy, we have crossed the river. The economy is now on a path to sustain growth. We are now exporting about 1.7 million barrels of oil per day, the Naira is stabilising against the dollar, and with the food security crisis that is confronting us, we cannot divorce ourselves from the realities in the global space.
“It’s not a localised phenomenon but ours was further compounded by the security challenges in the traditional food basket of the country, the North Central, and the North West but the security issues will be addressed, and be rest assured that in the coming months, Nigerians will see a sea of change in their fortunes. I want to ask all of us to rally around this poor man”.
Expressing concern over the years of neglect in basic education across northern Nigeria, Shettima highlighted the troubling involvement of underage children in the recent nationwide governance protests.
He attributed this situation to the breakdown of family values and a dysfunctional family system, where parents increasingly struggle to control their children.
Punch
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