Tinubu: Nigerians Manage Hunger Better in Peaceful Atmosphere
Promises to ‘recharge Lake Chad’, fix Mambilla
Emmanuel Addeh and Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, yesterday, said although there might be hunger in the land, Nigerians would prefer to ‘manage’ it in an atmosphere of peace.
Tinubu, who spoke at the flag-off of two oilfields between the boundaries of Gombe and Bauchi States, argued that Nigerians should be grateful that no foreign flag was flying in the country.
He also thanked the president for not interfering in the last APC presidential primaries, stressing that Buhari didn’t care who emerged, where he emerged from, but was only interested in a free and fair process.
He however, urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ignore rants from the social media as well as television commentaries and newspaper opinions, likening him to late French President, Charles De Gaulle, Britain’s Winston Churchill and America’s Dwight Eisenhower.
“Mr president you kept faith, you stayed focused. Say what enemies may, you remained, who you are. During the primaries, you said it has to be free and fair, a level playing field for everybody, not caring where we face, North, East or West.
“That election and congress produced me. I never thought that I will have the opportunity to even stand before you today for a discovery of great magnitude, an impactful discovery that will strengthen the dynamics of our country and make you a blessed inheritor of good history,” he said.
Tinubu noted that at various meetings with the president, Buhari has repeatedly singled out hunger in the land , the Lake Chad challenge and the Mambilla, promising to tackle the problems if elected.
“Congratulations for staying focused and for encouraging many of us. Your various regrets each time we discuss are the lack of food and the challenges of terrorism. We talk about Lake Chad.
“Let me assure you that, if I am elected president, I will recharge Lake Chad. You often talk about Mambilla and electricity. What a problem we have! Even though we are not within the parameters of arithmetic, you know a circle is a circle and once drawn, you have to break it in different ways.
“You are not a backward person, who looks backward at the history of disappointment and failures. You are always forward-looking and that’s why while we were debating, I insisted that our title for the manifesto should be ‘renewed hope’, not knowing that today will happen, and today, it’s happening.
“It’s a renewed hope for the entire Federal Republic of Nigeria. Let me assure you, I will continue to hold on to that renewed hope and carry forward where you left the footprint,” he assured.
He charged Buhari to remain single-minded in his pursuit of ways to better the lives of Nigerians, urging him to ignore the West, which is asking Africa and indeed Nigeria to jettison the use of hydrocarbons for renewables.
His words: “Do not worry sir, whatever they say in the social media and television comments and write-ups, let me say that history will be very kind to you, because you are in the class of great retired generals, who came back to rescue their countries. In the likes of Charles De Gaulle of France, Eisenhower of America, Winston Churchill of Great Britain and Buhari of Nigeria.
“No one foreign flag is flying over our country any longer. We may be hungry, but we can manage our hunger. We don’t want to kill each other. Today, you gave us a path to prosperity, a path to success. The only thing I may want to exclude and argue is the West and Europe.
“They have used our own resources and fossil fuels to develop their economy and they have asked us to be cautious. But I like your answer, we cannot stay hungry and starve to death. We need to take care of ourselves unless they pay compensation for it,” he added.
