President Goodluck Jonathan has reassured Nigerians that he has a system in place to combat corruption, youth unemployment and agricultural paucity.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the second quarterly meeting of Nigeria Inter-Religious Council (NIREC) in Ilorin, Kwara State capital, the president called for patience.
“If we all think that corruption starts and ends with political office holders, we will tackle it from a wrong side.
“But as a government, we shall tackle it systematically. That is why we have set up the various anti-graft bodies in Nigeria to fish out the corrupt elements among us,” Jonathan said.
He assured Nigerians that the country was destined to be among the best countries of the world if the country embraced peace and tolerance on a wider scale.
“I urge all of us to pray for Nigeria in line with our national anthem to enable us to live in Unity, Peace and Progress,” Jonathan added.
Addressing the economy, Jonathan stressed that the controversial fuel subsidy policy would lead to the creation of more job opportunities for Nigerians.
He added that the consultations on the deregulation of the downstream sector of Nigeria’s petroleum industry were ongoing.
“Government is not unmindful of the hardship faced by the average Nigerian and is doing its best to create conditions in which each and every Nigerian can lift his or herself out of the doldrums of poverty,” he said.
Jonathan said he expects the nations to get to a point where the citizens would be certain that whoever was in power would not turn it against the people.
Understand Africa's tomorrow... today
We believe that Africa is poorly represented, and badly under-estimated. Beyond the vast opportunity manifest in African markets, we highlight people who make a difference; leaders turning the tide, youth driving change, and an indefatigable business community. That is what we believe will change the continent, and that is what we report on. With hard-hitting investigations, innovative analysis and deep dives into countries and sectors, The Africa Report delivers the insight you need.
View subscription options