Nigeria’s Vice President, Kashim Shettima, has expressed optimism that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will get the country back on track in a couple of months.
Shettima stated this on Wednesday, December 20, during a meeting with the graduating class of the second cohort of the Legislative Mentorship Initiative, led by the Chief of Staff to the President and former Speaker of the House Of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Speaking during the meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the country’s number two citizen urged graduates to embrace their potential and play an active role in shaping a prosperous future for Nigeria rather than seeking opportunities abroad.
He said: “I believe passionately that in this room, there are future Presidents, Vice Presidents, Senators, Members of the House of Representatives, and governors. We also have future drivers and captains of industry.”
The Vice President resonated with a message of empowerment as he encouraged the graduating class to reject disillusionment and embrace their potential within Nigeria.
Shettima stressed that the government will strive to make the country greener for all citizens.
“Let no one make you feel inferior as a Nigerian. One out of every four black men is a Nigerian. Let no one deceive you into thinking that the grass is greener at the other end. Certainly, we can make it green on our home turf,” he noted, challenging their perception of leadership and shifting the focus from physical strength to intellectual agility.
Shettima added, saying, “The hallmark of true leadership is not the ability to lift a bag of cement, but the ability to come up with robust solutions to a nation’s problems.
“Give us a couple of months; this country will bounce back. Say no to the naysayers and to the prophets of doom. It doesn’t serve any purpose. Our ability to accept each other and our tolerance threshold will determine how far we can go as a nation. And the quality of governance is crucial to the goal and trajectory of our nation.”
In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President urged the graduates of LMI to actively contribute towards shaping the future of Nigeria.
In response, Gbajabiamila, the founder of the LMI program, emphasized that the cohort of young individuals is an exceptional generation.
