President Muhammadu Buhari, on Thursday, said for Nigeria to quickly recover from its numerous problems and start moving in positive direction, citizens must be ready to display higher level of self-denial, sacrifice and patriotism.
This was contained in his Eid-el-Fitri message to Nigerians.
The president said a greater acceptance by Nigerians of Ramadan’s key lessons of self-denial and sacrifice would serve the country well as his administration strives to overcome present challenges, undo the damage done by years of bad governance and accelerate the pace of national development.
He said, “Reviewing our dire circumstances and the many missed opportunities of the past, some commentators and observers have said that this is Nigeria’s last chance to get its act together and finally begin to fulfill its God-given potential for greatness.
“While not going that far, I certainly believe that now, more than ever before, our country needs greater self-denial, sacrifice and patriotism from all of its citizens, if we are to quickly recover from our numerous problems and start moving in a positive direction.
“This current period of our life as a nation offers us a great opportunity to break from the vicious triangle of insecurity, corruption and under-development. We must collectively resolve to seize this opportunity and unite to confront our problems.
“I remain wholly committed to giving the required leadership towards undoing the wrongs of the past, ensuring that Nigeria truly begins to unlock its great potential and that the benefits of our immense national resources are shared and enjoyed by all, not just by successive cabals of corrupt leaders and their cronies”.
Acknowledging the high expectations of Nigerians since he assumed office over a month ago, Mr. Buhari explained that he had been working with dedication to plan and tackle the many national challenges which he identified and promised to resolve.
To succeed however, the president said he needed the continued support, understanding and patience of Nigerians.
“I fully understand and share the thirst of my long-suffering compatriots for corruption-free government institutions that work efficiently to deliver visible development for the benefit of all citizens.
“I also share the feelings of those who think that we should be moving faster. But I urge them and all Nigerians to trust that my commitment to real and positive change in our nation is as firm as ever.
“There is indeed much work to be done, but we must do it well and carefully to ensure that the great opportunity which we now have is not lost to the ‘business as usual’ group who selfishly or shortsightedly prefer a status quo that panders to their personal or group interests.
“The adverse effects of years of rot, corruption, inept and bad governance on our nation are immense, but certainly not insurmountable if we all resolve now to place the well-being of our nation above all other considerations and work wholeheartedly with the present administration to achieve greater peace and security across the nation, and reposition our country for faster economic development and progress”, Buhari added.
President Buhari prayed that Allah continues to guide Nigerians and bless the country.
