President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during the week hosted the Forum of Former Presiding Officers of the National Assembly, and told them he did not come into power to enrich himself.
Led by former Senate President, Ken Nnamani (2005 to 2007), the former officers were told by the Nigerian President that he was committed to working for the benefit of the country.
The visitors included 16 former presiding officers, former senate presidents, former speakers of the House of Representatives, former deputy senate presidents, and former deputy speakers of the House of Representatives.
According to Tinubu, his administration’s primary focus was on driving real change in areas like infrastructure, food and energy security, education, and economic stability, rather than personal gain.
He said: “I didn’t come to look for money and exploit the situation; I came to work. I asked for the votes, and Nigerians gave them to me.”
While expressing gratitude for the support from the forum, regardless of party affiliation, the President called for continued unity and cooperation to tackle the challenges facing the nation.
He admitted that sectors like education and community development were neglected during periods of high crude oil production.
Tinubu said: “Regardless of party differences of the past and difficulty of the present, you still believe in me and what we all plan for this country.
“I thank you very much; no one will do it better than us. I have travelled the world and seen how developed countries have done it for themselves through collaboration, inclusiveness and financial structure.
“Yes, there is hardship, but how did we get here? What did we do when we had very high crude production?
“We neglected our communities; we neglected the goose that lays the golden eggs; we forgot even to give them a good standard of living.
“We forgot to educate our children. Go round and look at the dilapidated schools. The education environment must be decent enough for pupils to want to learn.
“We can complain from now till eternity that the school enrolment is low. But did we do anything to encourage the enrolment process? We must ask ourselves because it is a matter of conscience.”
Speaking on behalf of the group, Nnamani praised Tinubu’s leadership and offered full support for his administration’s efforts to address Nigeria’s pressing challenges, such as insecurity, economic downturn, and infrastructure decay.
He said they were confident that Tinubu’s experience would help solve the country’s prevailing challenges.
