The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio and Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, have urged Nigerians to be patient and hopeful for a prosperous Nigeria.
The President of the Senate and the SGF spoke on Sunday in Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State
during the Second Plenary Meeting of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria.
Akpabio assured that the reforms initiated by the Bola Tinubu administration government will soon bear fruits of economic prosperity.
A statement by his media aide, Anietie Ekong, quoted Akpabio to have urged Nigerians not to despair over the present economic hardship, but to look forward to a brighter future.
“Let me seize this opportunity to urge my compatriots to be patient with our government as we lay again the foundations of this house. Do not despair when the winds blow strong or the scaffolding shakes.
“For a nation is like a mighty cathedral—it is not raised overnight, but stone by stone, prayer by prayer, hand by hand. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as the eagle.
“Let us therefore renew hope in the Nigerian enterprise. Let us believe again that our land can be great, that our children can inherit a future brighter than our present.
“Let us bind the wounds of division, banish the cynicism of despair, and walk together—Church and State, pulpit and parliament, faith and policy—towards the dawn.
“Transformation is not the burden of one arm of society, nor the privilege of a select few. It is a covenant of partnership. As St. Paul declares: ‘We are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building,” Akpabio was quoted as saying.
On his part, SGF Akume said the administration was working towards building a country that works for everyone, stressing that the government has taken bold steps towards stabilising the economy.
He said, “This administration came into office with a firm commitment to renew hope, strengthen our democratic institutions and build a Nigeria that works for all.
“We have taken bold steps to stabilise the economy, attract investment and implement reforms that will bring enduring benefits to our country.”
Akume, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the event, urged the Church to keep supporting the government and assured that the administration would leave no one behind in its social investment programmes.
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Umo Eno, who also attended the event, said the Catholic Church has played key roles globally in fighting injustice, enthroning democratic governance and placing the welfare of the people at the centre of her policies.
Eno said his administration has invested heavily in lifting people out of poverty, especially the poor and vulnerable persons, thereby improving their living conditions.
The governor listed several intervention programmes initiated by the his administration as he called for the continued support of the Church in delivering dividends of democracy to the people.
At the conference was the Apostolic Nuncio and representative of the Pope, Most Rev. Michael Francis Crotty.
Also at the event were Catholic Bishops from across the country, some members of the National Assembly and Catholic faithful from far and near.