President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that Nigerians complain a lot about the mistakes of the past, which would not solve any of the challenges bedevelling the country.
He said that Nigerians should rather be more circumspect in providing solutions to the current problems especially as God has given Nigeria all it needs to succeed.
Tinubu stated this on Sunday while declaring open the Annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Abuja.
This is also as the president said Nigeria will not sustain failed economic theory that sees to the wastage of 90% of its scarce revenue in the servicing of external debts in the midst of many development challenges facing the country.
He said; “Can we continue to service external debts with 90% of our revenue? It is a path to destruction. It is not sustainable. We must make the very difficult changes that are necessary for our country to get up from slumber and be respected among the great nations of the world”.
Tinubu, who spoke on the theme of the conference, “Getting it Right: Charting the Course for Nigeria’s Nation-Building,” stated that hard decisions must be made to set the country on a growth trajectory, despite the initial pains which meaningful reforms usually bring.
He said; “We cannot have the country we desire without the reforms we have initiated. It is painful at the beginning, in the short and medium term, but we must do what we have to do to take this nation to its great destiny. It is not about you and it is not about me. It is about our generations yet unborn, for whom we must bequeath a great and prosperous country”.
The president further renewed his commitment to deal conclusively with the pressing issue of renumeration for judicial officers and legal practitioners against the backdrop of the renowned judicial reforms he undertook as Lagos State Governor.
According to President Tinubu, true justice reform must begin with world-class salaries and benefits for legal professionals in Nigeria.
“You are learned. I want to learn. Why are we so blessed and we are still lacking? We must have a change of attitude and a change of our mindset. We accuse our nation and its previous leaders. We complain alot of the past. Is that the solution? No! Let us look forward and be determined! God has given us what we need. We must work hard with determination to make our country great and it begins with you who are seated here with me,” he added.
Referring to the Keynote address delivered by the Chairman of UBA Plc and Heirs Holdings, Mr. Tony Elumelu, who he praised for setting an agenda for economic growth and development, President Tinubu bemoaned the inability of the country to eradicate poverty and tackle poor electricity supply, despite Nigeria’s abundance of gas.
He made a commitment that his administration will ensure that Nigeria generates and distributes the electricity the economy requires to thrive.
“Yes, it is a shame not to have adequate electricity for the mass majority of homes in Nigeria and to power our industries. How can we address poverty without electricity? We can take many people out of poverty with uninterrupted electricity supply. Poverty is not acceptable, and we must banish it,” President Tinubu said.
