For Nigerians sabotaging every effort of President Bola Tinubu to revamp the economy of Nigeria by breaking the current fall down the slope, a clear message came on Tuesday – you will be defeated and the shame will be on you.
The message was passed by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Public Wealth Management Conference organised by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MoFI) in Abuja, where he told participants of deliberate efforts by naysayers, some of them, politicians defeated during the last election.
Shettima, while delivering a keynote address on behalf of the President, bemoaned the plot by the individuals and groups who were willing to see Nigeria fall apart for their own interests, to disrupt the country’s stability and plunge it into anarchy after failing to attain power through legitimate means and.
He said: “We know the consequences of unveiling the masquerade. Forces are hell-bent on plunging this country into a state of anarchy, those that could not get into power through the ballot box. Instead of waiting for 2027, they are so desperate; that this country can fall apart as far as they are concerned. But we are going to visit them.
“Just a few nights ago, 45 trucks of maize were caught being transported into a neighbouring country. There are 32 illegal routes on that axis. At the moment when they were intercepted, the price of maize fell by N10,000, from N60,000 to N50,000. So there are forces that are hell bent on undermining our nation but this is the time for us to come together.
“These challenging times require unity. Citizens must rally rally round our President, rally round our governors, and rally round each other. We have the resources, we have the intellect, and we have the resources. I am assuring you that we have crossed the Rubicon.”
Relying on the resilience of Nigeria and Nigerians, he emphasised that despite the efforts of the disruptive forces, the country will overcome any storm, even though he acknowledged that Nigeria was currently facing economic challenges, particularly in the foreign exchange sector, which he assured government was committed to addressing.
“We are not altogether in a very bad shape than the FX challenge. All hands are on deck to address the FX challenge” he said. The shared identity and goals of the country are more important than any divisions. Nigeria has the necessary resources and intellect to overcome its challenges and make the nation thrive. The time has come for Nigerians to come together and work towards a better future for their country.”
The VP, who said the Federal Government had set a target of raising a minimum of $10 billion to bolster foreign exchange liquidity, a crucial factor in stabiliSing the Naira and fostering economic growth, explained that central to this objective President Tinubu, was the efficient management of the government’s assets and investments to maximise their revenue-generating capacity, including a bold plan to double the GDP growth rate and significantly expand the GDP base within the next eight years.