The President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu has said one of his reasons for contesting for the top position in the country, is to end bad leadership practices in the country by setting good examples through his administration.
President Tinubu, who is presently in India for the Group of Twenty (G20) Summit while interacting with Nigerian Students in the country on Thursday, was quoted in a statement by Presidential Spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale.
“We are here to present a new future to you. A future of a country that is so rich, endowed, and highly populated. Very dynamic, unique in its culture, tradition, and ethnicity. That is what will make our prosperity possible, if only we can make use of our diversity for prosperity,” he said.
The President added that although Nigeria is a country rich in human resources, the country lacks proper management of these resources due to bad leadership. He said it was for this reason that he chose to contest for the presidential seat so he could lead Nigeria right.
“We are not poor in knowledge. We are not poor in human resources. We are only poor in management and leadership, and that is why I ran for president, to help all of us mould the soul of our country in the right direction.
Tinubu emphasised the advantages of securing good education, adding that he is also a beneficiary. He advised the students to have the zeal to excel, and their dreams will be realised. He said the Nigeria will not discriminate against anyone, but will rather extend needed support.
“Good education brought me here and I am happy to stand before you here as the President of Nigeria. I started small. I was a security guard. I was a tutor in school. I was a brilliant student. I joined Deloitte and was trained by one of the biggest accounting firms in the world, because of my education.
“When I joined them, I asked them, do you have branches in Nigeria and they said, ‘we have a lot of clients that will take you, if you want to go home.’ That’s how I got to Exxon Mobil and was a very successful accountant, auditor-general, and treasurer, until I joined politics with a can-do attitude.
“You can also do it; do not be despondent in any way. Nigeria is ready to accommodate all. It does not matter which part of Nigeria you are from.”
The President urged Nigerians to take advantage of the rich heritage to drive social and economic growth. He also urged them to be innovative, as innovation brings progress.
President Tinubu recently got reaffirmed as Nigeria’s duly elected President in the February 25 polls by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT) on Wednesday, September 6.
The petition court passed the verdict after the petitions of opposition parties (Atiku, Obi) were dismissed after the petitioners failed to prove the allegations levelled against Tinubu in court.