Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Gboyega Akinsanmi
The National Leader of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola
Ahmed Tinubu, at the weekend said the present and previous leaders of
Nigeria “must admit that we have mortgaged away the good future due to
us” as a country
Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos State, however stated that it was
not yet over, thereby tasking President Muhammadu Buhari and his team to
re-build our country, revitalise our economy and ultimately empower our
people.”
He expressed the view in a statement yesterday calling on the media not
to “be a partner “to power or to those who have lost power. The role of
the media is that of guardian and herald of the truth for the people
themselves.”
In his statement, the national leader acknowledged that the defeat of
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former President Goodluck
Jonathan in the last presidential election was not due to the effort any
single individual.
He said God only placed him in the position “to recognise the change
that was needed and to help effect that change. I thank God for giving
me this chance and for allowing me to be born a black man and a
Nigerian.”
He therefore said the APC and President Buhari secured victory through
the collective love and labour of millions of Nigerians, admitting that
what was accomplished in 2015 was not an individual’s effort.
He said a handful of those who contributed to the victory “were well
known. Most of them are hardworking anonymous people who together
constitute the backbone and great strength of this nation. It was this
collective effort that produced the unprecedented electoral victory in
2015.”
He cited the case of a 90-year old woman, Hajia Fadimatu Mai Talle
Tara, who donated one million naira out of her life saving “to support
the campaign of President Buhari. Aside, many sacrificed greatly to
achieve this great turn of events. Some practically surrendered their
businesses. Some provided funds.
“Others worked ceaselessly, hour after hour, day after day until the
historic job was done. Many hit the campaign trail day and night from
Katsina to Lagos. I reserve a special recognition and commendation for
the Youth across this nation who formed part of the foot soldiers in the
struggle for change.”
He thus pointed out that Nigeria had come to a point where there “is no
turning back for there is nothing worthy of the sacrifices so recently
made to turn back to. We have reached the juncture at which we must
reform our institutions, rid our country of corruption or admit that we
have mortgaged away the good future due us.
“The infrastructural decay of past decades, the unemployment time bomb,
the challenging security situation make a compelling case for us all to
join with this government embrace a new politics that will help build a
new country.
He described the media as a key partner in the quest to reposition the
country, noting that the media organisations “must employ journalism as a
tool for development. Journalism must become a force for good and a
voice against injustice, poverty and discrimination.
“It must always speak right to might. You must be objective. You must
not be a partner to power or to those who have lost power. Your role is
that of guardian and herald of the truth for the people themselves. The
media will stand the best of time and with other patriots work to make
Nigeria great again.”
He acknowledged that Nigeria was actually going through a challenging
period, though tasked all his countrymen “to build tomorrow today
together. The constitution to which we all subscribe as ‘We the People’
must be used to re-build our country.
“The same constitution must be used to revitalize our economy and
ultimately protect our people. Our renaissance must come from within
through perseverance, strong determination and an irrevocable sense of
patriotism.”
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