National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has asked Nigerians to brace up for the challenges ahead because of “our economic woes”.
Oyegun, who spoke when he received the management and Alumni Association of the University of Ibadan (UI), said the task of rebuilding the nation would be tough.
He said the duty before the Federal Government has gone beyond building roads and infrastructure to rebuilding the psyche of Nigerians.
He said: “These are going to be interesting times. There are going to be difficulties ahead because of the state of the economy. It is clear that our value system has to change and it is clear that our ethical standard has to change.
“It is clear that our moral standard has to change; it is clear that as a people, we must begin to once again implant that knowledge of what is right and what is wrong and we must start drawing lines on the ground, which we don’t expect any decent person to cross.
“All these have disappeared from our national life. It is not really the issue of building bridges, building roads and massive structures. The damage has been to the psychic of the average Nigerian; the young Nigerian, who no longer know the difference between right and wrong.
“Today all that is important is that once you have money and you are powerful, you can do anything and get away with it. That has to change and that is the difficult challenge we have to face in the remaining three and half years we still have ahead of us”.
The APC chairman commended the university’s immediate past vice chancellor, Prof. Isaac Adewole, for transforming the institution even as he congratulated him on his nomination as a minister.
Assuring Nigerians and the delegation of the APC government’s commitment to effectively implement the change agenda it promised during campaigns, Mr. Oyegun said: “Fortunately, the vice chancellor is coming into an administration of change and will be part of the change that this government is embarking upon. Immediately they are sworn in, they will hit the ground running.
“We have for the past five to six months been trying to find out how bad the economy is; and things are really bad. We are now prepared and are in the process of briefing the incoming ministers so that when they come in, they also will not be trying to find out how things have been. They will truly hit the ground running.
“Even though I am an insider, I must also confess that the quality of the ministers that are coming on board has far exceeded my expectations, especially watching each of them perform at to the Senate screening and that has been a thing of joy.
“These are people of experience, people of intellect, people of passion and people of commitment to the new nation that the Buhari administration has committed itself to establishing.
“It is going to be a huge task and it is going to be a most challenging responsibility. But it is a task that must, in the interest of our nation, be performed. There are going to be huge mountains to climb and overcome.
“But thank God, we have the kind of President to who, facing challenges does not pose any serious problem at all, but only a realisation that we as a nation must overcome”.
What this looter Oyegun is saying about tough time ahead? If all the money looted by each one of you and stocked in foreign banks are been ulterlised right here in Nigeria, we will not be told to embrace tough time by you. God will surly afflicts everyone of you for making life hard and tough for Nigerians.