President Muhammadu Buhari says it pleases him that the
Nigerian elite has realised that changing the country is a task for everyone.
According to a statement by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman,
Buhari spoke on Sunday at a dinner in honour of the 2022 committee of business,
political, media and civil society leaders.
Buhari had in January 2021, accused the Nigerian elite of
harassing his government.
In another instance, he asked the elite to be fair in their
criticism of his administration, said they (elite) “are not interested in
rating the competence” of his administration despite its efforts.
He had also accused the elite of making expensive demands
and allegedly conniving with foreign firms to defraud the country.
The president, who noted that he has always been critical of
the elite, said his government may have fared better if it had the support of
the elite from the outset.
”I take this initiative to mean that you all intend to
collaborate with this administration in that direction,” Buhari said.
”For those among you who are politicians, you must look
beyond gaining power to how you can leverage public positions in the process of
societal change. To the businessmen and women among you, there is great glory
in public service.
”The question that should be uppermost always is: How do we
leverage our business endowment for the greater good of our country?
”I am delighted that members of the Nigerian elite have
woken up to the fact that the task of changing this society is a task for all
of us, whether we are in the private or public sector. Knowing that, we have
enormous challenges as a nation, but they are not beyond our capacity to
overcome if we embrace a new approach.
”We cannot retreat to our ethnic cocoons, nor can we
continue to seek solace in our past. We must champion the idea of a Nigeria
where every citizen would be proud to call their own. That is the charge before
you.
”As we all know, I have been very critical of the Nigerian
elites, essentially because some of us have not always demonstrated that we can
rise above personal gain, political partisanship as well as ethnic and
religious differences when the situation demands that we all speak and or act
as one in the interest of our country.
“But we probably would have fared even better if we secured
the support of most of you that are here today, know that while government
comes and goes, the country must remain and thrive.
”There are also many among our elites for whom profit
remains the only motivation for any and every enterprise.
”But now, I feel heartened that a more collaborative social
enterprise model for resolving our common challenges is being forged.”
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