President Bola Tinubu has said that Nigeria has nothing to do with poverty, insecurity and underdevelopment due to its enormous human capacity and natural resources.
He assured that under his leadership the narrative will change positively and permanently because he is not a president who makes excuses.
Tinubu stated this while receiving a delegation from Rivers State, south-south Nigeria, at the State House, Abuja on Thursday.
The 62-member delegation led by Governor Siminalayi Fubara was made up of leaders of the two major parties in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
President Tinubu and Fubara shake hands.
Also part of the delegation were former Rivers Governor and FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Onueze Okocha.
“We are not meant to be in a position to be poor. We will change course! Somewhere, somehow in this storm, there is a quiet and peaceful place for us. We will locate it!
“We are not lazy people. We are richly endowed. We just need to be our brothers’ keepers and good neighbors to each other.
“I am not a president who makes excuses. I will work hard for our nation with purpose, determination and dedication to create wealth for all Nigerians. We have no reason to be poor! We will not look back, we will aggressively run forward.
“Today we may be swimming against the current. But the waves will soon propel us forward from behind. We will achieve the goals and dreams of our ancestors. “I am inspired by the nation of people I now lead,” the president said.
Tinubu said he had heard cries from prominent indigenes of the state about infrastructure development in Rivers State, with special reference to the Eleme Junction-Onne axis of the East-West highway, which links the Port Harcourt refinery.
FTC Minister Nyesom Wike.
The President said Wike is his advisor and he would follow up on the matter to take immediate action.
“Honourable Minister Wike is not only the Minister of FCT, he is also my advisor and an admirer of mine. He has started to work and the State should encourage him,” he stated.
He said the former governor had left big shoes for the new governor and as one of his most trusted allies, Rivers State would always have direct access to him in their joint march towards sustainable development.
Advising the younger generation to be more patient with government processes, Tinubu said: “I am the captain and chief salesman of the country. We have to reverse the trend and achieve possibilities in a short period of time. Our people have high expectations of us. “I promise to work hard and pray to God to put me on the right path and not disappoint Nigerians.”
President Tinubu of the federal republic of Nigeria.
Earlier in his remarks, Fubara told the President that the delegation, which included political party leaders and past and present members of the state and national assemblies of all parties, was on a visit of solidarity and gratitude.
“The people of Rivers State voted for you in the last general election based on your belief in fairness, equity and justice. This is the first time Rivers State has really felt the impact of the federal government since the inception of democracy in 1999,” he said.