President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigerians would be grateful if they have an idea of the hardship that some other African countries are experiencing.
Buhari, who spoke when he paid homage to the Emir of Katsina, Dr Abdulmumini Kabir Usman, at his palace, on Saturday, said he would continue to do his best towards the welfare of the people having heard complaints from both the Emir and Governor Bello Masari of Katsina about the suffering of the people.
“If our people were to know the kind of hardship some other African countries are in currently, they would have been grateful with the situation here at home.”
“We are appealing to the people to exercise more patience, we are trying our best. Nothing is more important than peace. Those who are bent on disrupting our peace, no matter what their motives, we ask God to give us more wisdom to deal with them,” he said.
On the emergence of Tinubu as the Presidential flag bearer of the APC, Buhari reiterated his neutral position in the election, saying when the the matter came up about 30 aspirants presented themselves, majority of whom were either his ministers or state governors.
“Who then would I support against the others? So, I asked them to go and do what they believed was the best for them, and they chose Tinubu to be the flag-bearer and he has chosen his Vice president as well,” he said while praying for a peaceful conduct of 2023 elections.
In his address, Governor Masari also appealed to the people to support the President with prayers, saying to lead a multi-ethinic, multi-religious and multi-cultural country like Nigeria was not an easy task.
“As a Governor of a State with almost the same ethnic and about 95 per cent of the same religion, I know what I am going through, what of a multiethinic, multicultural and multi religious society like Nigeria?” he said.
Masari said the current harship people are going through is a global phenomenon, saying both governments and security agencies were doing their best, but people must return to God in prayers and good deeds.
Earlier, the Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmuminu Kabir Usman, thanked the President for the visit and for upgrading the Katsina Federal Medical Centre into a Federal Teaching Hospital.
The Emir then reminded the President while urging him to complete four projects which include a cancer research centre, the Rimi windmill, Kano-Katsina road project and the Kano-Katsina-Jibia-Maradi railway project for the benefit of the State and the nation.
Shortly after the visit, the president returned to Abuja, marking the end of his Sallah holiday in Daura, his hometown.