Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, have appealed to Nigerians to exercise patience with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, insisting that the economic and political reforms currently causing hardship will ultimately yield prosperity.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Special Assistant to the President of the Senate on Media/Communication, Anietie Ekong.
The appeals came against the backdrop of concerns about the poverty levels in the country.
Since Tinubu announced the end of fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023, petrol prices have more than tripled, food inflation surged above 35 per cent, and the naira has continued a volatile decline against the dollar.
Speaking at the Second Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State, Akpabio acknowledged the turbulence but likened the process of rebuilding to constructing a cathedral, stressing that such a task requires time, sacrifice and resilience.
The former governor appealed to the masses not to despair over the current situation that Nigeria is going through but to look forward to a brighter future.
He said, “Let me seize this opportunity to urge my compatriots to be patient with your government as we lay the foundations of this house again. Do not despair when the winds blow strongly or the scaffolding shakes.
“For a nation is like a mighty cathedral—it is not raised overnight, but stone by stone, prayer by prayer, hand by hand. Let us, therefore, renew hope in the Nigerian enterprise.
“Let us believe again that our land can be great, that our children can inherit a future brighter than our present. Let us bind the wounds of division, banish the cynicism of despair, and walk together—Church and State, pulpit and parliament, faith and policy—towards the dawn.”
According to him, transformation is not the burden of one arm of society, nor the privilege of a select few.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, also shared his sentiment.
Akume, who represented Tinubu at the Catholic gathering, assured that the administration was working to stabilise the economy, attract investments, and cushion the impact of reforms.
“This administration came into office with a firm commitment to renew hope, strengthen our democratic institutions, and build a Nigeria that works for all.
“We have taken bold steps to stabilise the economy, attract investment, and implement reforms that will bring enduring benefits to our country,” he said.
Akume also urged the Church to continue supporting the government’s efforts, pledging that Tinubu’s social investment programmes would ensure no Nigerian is left behind.
At the same event, Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, praised the Catholic Church for its historical role in championing justice and democracy globally, while highlighting his administration’s initiatives to fight poverty and improve welfare for the poor and vulnerable.
The plenary, attended by the Apostolic Nuncio and Papal representative, Most Rev. Michael Francis Crotty, Catholic bishops from across Nigeria, federal lawmakers, state officials and hundreds of worshippers, offered the platform for political leaders to seek the Church’s support in navigating the country’s toughest economic transition in decades.
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