Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Monday urged political office holders at all levels to brace up to the challenges of nation building to make Nigerians better in 2014.
This is contained in a New Year message issued and signed by Atiku’s Media Officer, Mr Paul Ibe, in Abuja.
The former vice president, while congratulating Nigerians for the New Year, described as unacceptable the worsening poverty in the country.
This, he noted, was taking its toll on the ordinary citizens, adding, however, that, with hard work and dedication, elected leaders and public servants could rise to the challenges of national development and economic prosperity.
His words: “With hard work and dedication, elected leaders and public servants can rise to the expected challenges of national development and economic prosperity to redress the deepening poverty of ordinary Nigerians in 2014”.
Atiku added that “Public officers should not take the magnanimity of the Nigerian people for granted”.
He urged Nigerians to face the future with optimism, adding that the New Year would bring good tidings to the country.
Atiku thanked God for keeping Nigerians together, despite the country`s myriad of security, political and socioeconomic challenges.
“Despite our challenges in the area of security, infrastructure, politics and economy, I am grateful to God for keeping us together as one.
“It is my hope that we all will face the future of our country with confidence and fervent hope that God will grant us the better tomorrow we are working for”, he said.