National Chairman of the governing All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, has appealed to Nigerians to bear with the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government, assuring that the current hardship confronting the people “will soon become a thing of the past.” Oyegun, who was speaking at the weekend during a special event organised to honour him by the Inner Circle of Friends, University of Ibadan, acknowledged that truly, most Nigerians were facing hardship, but expressed optimism that the turning point was around the corner. “Yes, it has caused pain, stress and there is a bit of hunger in the land.
People are hungry and there is no question about that. But if you need to eat an omelette, it is inevitable that you have to break the egg. “So, my message is to our people nationwide to bear with us. Th e pride that you feel when you walk out and say you are a Nigerian, backed up by 170 million people and hopefully backed up by an economy that will bring us back to growth, to stability and development, the pride that everyone will feel is much greater than the attempt to disintegrate us into tiny Begs for patience mini republics.
Th at will not happen.” According to the APC national chairman, the foundation of Nigeria is being rocked deliberately due to various ongoing agitations in the country. “Th e foundation of our nation is being rocked deliberately. We promised change, but quite frankly, change of the immediacy that we promised has inevitably run against the kind of fi ght back that we are having today, because of the kind of President we are lucky to have. Because we have a man who is thorough, we have a man as President who insists on fairness, who insists that justice must be given its due place and that everything must take place according to due process.
Th e powers of darkness has taken advantage of this to fi ght back in such a massive way that they are beginning to threaten the very foundation of our nation. “But let me say this with all the emphasis at my command that change, there must be; that this nation will stay united. But the current new economic foundation that our President is so laboriously and painstakingly putting together, a new nation, the foundation for a new economy based on production, not based on the cheap easy resources of oil; a foundation that will sustain this nation, a foundation that will propel this nation to greatness, a foundation that is destined to make us the fi rst, the largest and the most potent black nation on the surface of the earth is being put together.” While thanking the organiser for the honour done to him, Oyegun said: “In some cases, I think it has been a charmed life. In every sense of the word, God has been good to me. Sometimes, I say that God has been partial to me. May God be partial to you.”
Earlier, Chairman of the occasion, Senator Jim Nwobodo, appealed to all leaders and elders to call the youths in their various to order. “All stakeholders, elders, leaders, religious institutions, education institutions should please call our youths to order. My generation is looking up to you our young leaders to give us Nigeria of our dream.” He told Oyegun that: “Yours is an important position that comes with enormous challenges; leading a party in government at the most diffi cult and delicate time in our country.
“As we celebrate you, we pray that God will give you the wisdom to thrive at this time. As you already knew, APC is preparing for a test of its might in the South-east, with the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra state in November. We also pray that God will guide decision in all matters concerning this election.”
