President Bola Tinubu has said that the restoration of the country to its rightful place in the comity of nations requires sacrifice.
Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale said that the president disclosed this in an audience with a delegation of South-West Muslim faithful, led by Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, in Abuja on Friday.
The President said the current challenges facing the nation were only temporary, assuring Nigerians that better days were in the offing.
“We have to believe in one country; we have to believe in Nigeria. We will do our best, and our economy will get better for the benefit of Nigerians. I am very sure of that, and we are putting in the work to ensure that,” the president said.
He noted that the policies and programmes of his administration were aimed at achieving a fairer, better and honest society where hard work would be rewarded and laziness would reap little.
“It is about our future. We must guarantee our future. Almighty Allah will not give us a burden that we cannot bear. He has put us here for a purpose. It may look difficult; even rough, but it will get better.
“We avoided it (removing petroleum subsidy) for 40 years. We are all going through the pain now, but for Nigeria not to collapse, we had to remove the subsidy.
“In the history of successful nations, there is nothing more vital than the leadership of a nation taking difficult decisions at the right time and for the right reasons. There would have been no money for the subnationals,” the president said.
Tinubu commended the leaders for their prayers and support, assuring them that his administration would empower the youth with skills and create an enabling environment for them to prosper.
Earlier, Oladejo, in company of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, commended Tinubu for his courage in removing the petroleum subsidy and for initiating necessary reforms.
“There had been no leader, military, or civilian that could break this hard nut of removing petroleum subsidy for us to grow as a country. You have done it. God will see you through,” Oladejo said.
