Vice-President Kashim Shettima asserts that President Bola Tinubu is in office to have a positive impact on the country rather than to amass fortune.
At the book launch for “Navigating the Politics of Universal Education Policies in Nigeria” on Thursday in Abuja, Shettima gave a speech.
The book’s author, Modupe Adelabu, is a retired professor of educational administration from Obafemi Awolowo University in Ile-Ife’s department of educational management.
The vice president reportedly told Punch that Tinubu is a leader in whom Nigerians can put their trust and that he has a noble soul.
“He has the ability to leave historical markers in the sands of time. Shettima declared, “He is the Nigerian politician who is most demonised.”
“When I first visited his home in Bourdillon, I had high expectations for a grandeur with gardens and swimming pools, like to Buckingham Palace, but that property was nothing special.
“The house in Bourdillon is not as good as my house in Maiduguri.”
And we had a meeting in his home during the APC’s early stages. They offered us a selection of dishes, but he chose to have groundnut and garri for lunch. He has only used one watch since I’ve known him, and I really wear nicer clothes than he does.
“He’s not even bothered. Despite all the challenges, he has managed to dress nicely. Thus, we must unite behind this unfortunate individual. He has made some audacious moves. We encountered an extremely dysfunctional economy.
We cannot deny that we were a part of the Buhari administration, but it wasn’t for us. We are members of the same political clan. The goal is to address the issues of our country, not to assign blame.
“We knew there were challenges. Forget about the politics being played by Atiku Abubakar and the obedient crowd; they all said they were going to withdraw the fuel subsidy.”
Shettima said the president had the courage and the willpower to take far-reaching decisions, adding that the economy is now on a path to sustained growth.
“We are now exporting about 1.7 million barrels of oil per day; the naira is stabilising against the dollar, and with the food security crisis that is confronting us, we cannot divorce ourselves from the realities in the global space,” he said.
“It’s not a localised phenomenon, but ours was further compounded by the security challenges in the traditional food basket of the country, the north-central, and the north-west, but the security issues will be addressed, and be rest assured that in the coming months, Nigerians will see a sea of change in their fortunes. I want to ask all of us to rally around this poor man.”