President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday restated that Nigerians are better and stronger together, warning those seeking to divide the country to stop, just as the acclaimed National Leader of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Ahmed Bola Tinubu, urged President Buhari and the National Assembly to put immediate stop to austerity measures and introduce stimulus expenditure.
Self-acclaimed youth leader, Sunday Adeyemo also known as Sunday Igboho, and a former militant in the Niger Delta region, Asari Dokubo, are among those who have recently called for secession, citing injustice in Nigeria.
Speaking virtually as the chairman of the 12th colloquium to celebrate the 69th birthday of Tinubu holding in Kano, the President said as a military man he fought for the unity of Nigeria.
According to Buhari, “despite occasional inter-ethnic tensions in our national history, it seems to me that we have all agreed on one point that notwithstanding our diversity or ethnicity, culture, language and religion, Nigerians are better together, even stronger together.
“Asiwaju (Tinubu) himself is a known advocate of unity and cohesion in Nigeria. This has been a constant factor in his outstanding political career from the time his served in the short-lived senate in the third republic to his involvement in the struggle for the actualisation of the June 12 mandate of the late Chief MKO Abiola to his much acclaimed years of service as the governor of Lagos State from 1999 to 2007.”
“I can also relate personally to the ideals of One Nigeria. As a military officer, I have served with great comrades from all the nooks and crannies of our country.
“In the course of my career, I have also been opportuned to serve in all parts of Nigeria seeing firsthand the enticing possibilities of a strong, united nation.
“More importantly, I fought for the unity of Nigeria during the civil war – 1967 to 1970 and I saw firsthand the unspeakable horrors of war, not just from fellow soldiers from both sides but from the civilians, innocent children, women and the elderly left behind.
“As we all know the peace-keeping recovery and reconstruction that followed could also not have succeeded under an atmosphere of inter-ethnic animosity. We must count our blessings in Nigeria and see in them the crucial factors of peace and unity.”
And as if kicking off his 2023 Presidential election campaign on a populist note, Tinubu, a two-term Governor of Lagos State, said at the 12th Colloquium to mark his 69th birthday in Kano that “this is the time to put stimulus expenditure in place, this is no more time for austerity. This is no more time to constrain the economy, it is time to create opportunities.”
He cited example of the recent stimulus package by the US government while taking a dig at Nigeria’s increasing unemployment rate under the present administration.
“Your own employment rate is 33% and you ask us to keep on fasting. The one we are fasting spiritually is voluntary. We have been fasting for so many years. I hope the National Assembly, I hope the president himself will not pay attention to austerity. It is only the state that must constrain itself and balance budget.”
He added that sovereignty is that of Nigeria and it is only the federal government that has the sovereign power and must use it to improve the quality of life of Nigerians.
Tinubu also called on the government to employ more youths into the security sector.
“We are under policed and are competing with armed robbers and bandits to recruit from the youths who are unemployed.
“Don’t call them illiterates, anybody that can handle guns is capable of handling tractors in the farm. We can create the jobs.”
He also identified with the youths, saying: “Surprisingly, when you see the social media today, you see the minds of our youths. They are angry, but we appeal to them that we will listen to them.”
