Amidst the lingering economic challenges facing the country, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has called on Nigerians to remain consistent in their efforts to do the right thing.
Odigie-Oyegun stated that, as against the perception that the concept of change was about road construction and provision of electricity, he believed that it (change) was a resolve not to return to “bad old past.”
The APC national chairman spoke on Thursday at a reception where he was conferred with the Distinguished Political Leadership Award by the Benin National Congress in Benin, Edo State.
Odigie-Oyegun said, “Change is not bridges. Change is not electricity. Change is not roads. Change is my perception as to what is right and what is wrong, what needs to be done and being faithful in getting it done.
“For as long as we, Nigerians, have the wrong type of morality, the wrong type of ethics, not all the roads in this world will get us out of the economic morass we have plunged ourselves into.
“Change takes time and consistency of application and the resolve not to go back to the bad old days.”
The former Edo State governor, who maintained that the Buhari administration met a “totally collapsed economy,” however, assured Nigerians that the President was doing his best to bring Nigeria back to the path of progress in order for the country to attain its vision.
“We took over a totally collapsed country. The hope is that things have started to solidify. Things have started to concretise; the economy has started to grow.
“It is not a switch; it is something that will take time. But once we are there, this nation will never experience the type of recession we had in the past,” he stated.
“Until Buhari, we were a laughing stock. Today, we are gaining respectability. So, it is important that we do not lose that momentum,” Odigie-Oyegun added.
Earlier, the President of the congress, Mr. Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo, had said that the award was bestowed only on exceptional icons who had shown patriotism in the face of numerous challenges.
Edokpolo explained that the former governor demonstrated exemplary and selfless leadership during Nigeria’s struggle for democracy and as a former civil servant.
He said, “One defining attribute that influenced his gigantic profile is truth. And one truth we must not shy away from as brothers and sisters is that, if we refused to rally around our own, who have done exceedingly well in career development and service to humanity, we inadvertently expose them to vagaries of vultures and vampires, and until you lose your access to profound opportunities, you may never appreciate their hitherto benefits.”
Edokpolo blamed the spate of crime in the society on the undermining of socio-cultural organisations and politicisation of acts of patriotism by opportunists.
He, therefore, urged political leaders and heads of public and private institutions to make meaningful contributions towards the resuscitation of cultural values.
These, he said, would inspire the younger generations to embrace selflessness and creativity as “ingredients of greatness.”
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