Tinubu to Nigerians: Size of my cabinet to avert a future of non-performance

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said his administration would not relent in addressing corruption and other vices, describing it as a sacred duty to ensure the country is set right for the prosperity of all Nigerians.

He also explained reasons behind the size of his cabinet which has consistently come under criticism from certain quarters, saying it was to avert a future of no results.

Speaking when he received a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), led by its president, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, President Tinubu emphasised the role of faith leaders in fostering unity and peace in the country.

He called on Christian leaders to support the administration’s ongoing fight against corruption by encouraging Nigerians to have a change of mindset on money-related matters.

“We have no other country but Nigeria. If you do not preach the sermon of understanding, tolerance, perseverance, and hope for Nigerians, you are doing damage to the country, and nobody will help us repair it.

“Let us dialogue because public condemnation of a nation is not what makes any citizen a good one. We must admonish Nigerians to have a change of mindset and not to make money our god or master.

I believe we will get to the Promised Land, and Nigeria will flourish.

“We are here to listen, and if you observe any inadequacies in my government, let us know. I am here today because of your prayers and the will of God Almighty.

“What I have challenged myself to do each day is to be fair to all Nigerians. I have had a number of criticisms, including the rationale behind the size of my cabinet. If you want efficient, mobile, and resourceful people, we have to give people a load they can carry. If you combine too many ministries because you want to save money, you will have a future of non-performance and no results.

“Nigeria needs to turn the corner to grow, and we must give people challenges they can manage, and that is what we are doing,” President Tinubu said.

…CAN urges patience

In his remarks, Archbishop Daniel Okoh urged the President not to relent in his efforts to provide good governance by ensuring security, inclusivity, and peaceful co-existence in the country.

“You have extended a hand of fellowship to us, and we embrace you and your family with the love of Christ and promise to partner with you in nation-building, for the task is quite daunting. You will not stumble, and you will not fall.

“We believe that you have the sagacity to give leadership in battling our challenges and in turning around the fortunes of our nation, Nigeria, within a short time. You have shown that you are a listening leader, and we appreciate this.

“CAN has maintained an active presence at all levels from the national to the grassroots, and we have remained non-partisan. You will always find our association as a ready and willing partner in nation-building,” he said.

Speaking to journalists after the visit, Archbishop Okoh pleaded with Nigerians to persevere and still be patient with the Tinubu administration, assuring it’s working towards solving the myriad of challenges facing the nation.

He said since assuming office, President Tinubu had shown himself to be sensitive to the situations facing Nigerians and taking steps to fix the challenges.

Okoh said Nigerians, including the Christian community, were noticing the Tinubu’s efforts at resetting the country and putting it on the right track.

He said: “Sincerely, what we found out is that the President is sensitive to all these challenges that we have. He’s aware, and we see him making very positive steps, even from the beginning of his administration by the way, he has made appointments so far.

“He has come with a great sense of inclusiveness. And Nigerians have a sense of belonging as Nigerians and in this government and I tell you that his pronouncements so far and his body language have increased the confidence of Nigerians in Nigeria and we believe that, given the chance, he will do a lot more and we are praying that the Lord will strengthen his hand, to be able to do more and turn around the fortunes of this country.

“We know that there are a lot of challenges, but what we tell our people is that this is just the beginning of this administration and Nigeria is big and what we face now started not just today. It started many years back, and it will take a while to turn around these things.

“But the important thing is that there is an intentional step that the President has taken, and is taken to reverse the trend of events, especially in the area of governance, we see it very clearly and we see the effort is making towards securing this nation.

“So, we ask the Nigerians who are watching and those people who seem to have lost hope, to not lose hope, but to have patience and persevere, though it is night, we know that a new dawn is just in the horizon.”