Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday, reeled out his blueprint for the country, saying his administration would bring out workable policies to ensure that insecurity is nipped in the bud in the North and across the country.
Tinubu, who spoke during an interaction with northern leaders under the aegis of the Arewa Joint Committee at Arewa House, Kaduna, noted that he would transform Nigeria just like he did upon assumption as Lagos State governor.
The former Lagos State governor noted that the whole country is endowed with resources that can be harnessed for greater economic development.
He praised past leaders of the country, including Nigeria’s late Premier of Northern region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Nigeria first and only Prime minister, Tafawa Balewa, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and Chief Nnamdi Azikiwe for being visionary leaders who gave their all to nation-building.
Before addressing the Northern leaders, Tinunu had earlier visited the tomb of the late Saudauna of Sokoto, who he prayed for, for his invaluable sacrifice to the North and country.
Riding on the wings of the heroes of Nigeria’s independence and history, Tinubu said he would continue to give his best even as president to ensure the country remains indivisible, achieving greatness together as one.
He noted: “As I said when I chaired the Sardauna Memorial Lecture, last year, I have a solemn feeling of responsibility and duty to our country every time I am here. Standing here evokes memories of a great leader and a father of this nation, the Late Sir Ahmadu Bello, the late Sardauna of Sokoto. The contributions of the Sardauna to nation-building remain a reference point for us all. He was a visionary builder of men and institutions.
“The dream of Sardauna, and indeed that of our other great leaders such as Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and our first and only prime minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa was for one indivisible and prosperous nation built on shared values of patriotism, equity, justice and brotherhood.
“It is therefore no coincidence that at Independence this vison was clearly laid out and encapsulated in our first National Anthem. It says: ‘Though tribes and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand.’
“This is a strong statement which acknowledges our diversity, and, therefore, existence of different perspectives and interests, and how that should not stand on the path of our unity as brothers.
“The framers of this anthem, God rest their souls, will cringe to know that 62 years after, someone would come to this hallowed platform to campaign on the basis of tribe or where others come from.
“The dream of those forefathers, ladies and gentlemen, was for a nation ‘Where no man is oppressed’, a nation ‘with peace and plenty’, and these – unity in diversity, peace and prosperity – are the fulcrum of my mission in this contest. They also form the bulk of my address to you this afternoon, in line with the areas the organisers wanted me to address,” Tinubu said.
On his plans for Nigeria as president, the Jagaban Borgu promised to consolidate on the investments of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in all sectors of the nation to build on the successes recorded.
“Our economic plan would utilize the vast natural resources we have, through strategic investment in infrastructure which will lead to the diversification of the economy and wealth creation across the entire country. We will pay attention to modern economic drivers such as the digital economy, creative industries, sports and entertainment sectors for the benefit of our young people.
“The APC Federal Government has taken several measures to build infrastructure and improve the ease of doing business across the country. This has been complemented by the efforts of some of our states to attract investments in diverse sectors of the economy,” he added.
Tinubu also stated that under his leadership, the Nigerian government will be business-friendly, adding that he would focus on tackling underinvestment and effective management.
He continued: “We shall support private businesses in our country and attract foreign direct investment to create jobs, re-industrialise our country and accelerate economic development. Nigerian businesses in sectors like banking and cement have successfully ventured out of the country to build thriving subsidiaries.
“We will build a strong domestic economy, expand the capacity of our domestic market to support growth and encourage export capacity in the areas of our competitive advantage. We have the endowments to be a prosperous country. I will lead a renewed push to move us from the status of a nation of potential into a country of actual accomplishments as an economic dynamo.”
Tinubu also promised to focus on using his experience of building human capital, which made Lagos one of the largest economies in Africa to grow the nation’s economy to an enviable height.
“Using my experience of building human capital, industries, and institutions, which has led to Lagos being one of the largest economies on the continent, I will reposition our existing industries and make them a competitive source of industrialization and growth not just for the North but the entire country. It is time to fetch water from a dry well and I, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have done it before and I will do it. We will find a way where there are no roads!
“I will ensure that we take advantage of our resources to convert cotton to textile, plants to pharmaceutical products, groundnut to edible oil, cassava to ethanol and starch, etc., thereby building competitive advantage for our farmers through value addition.
