President Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians to remain patient despite the high cost of living, stating that the country can no longer expect “a free bowl” without addressing its economic challenges.
The President made this remark during a visit from former Nigerian lawmakers at the State House in Abuja on Friday.
Tinubu acknowledged the hunger in the country but emphasized that there is no “free beer parlour,” using the metaphor to highlight that real development requires time and effort.
He further stressed the need for the government to stay focused on nation-building and restructuring the country’s financial system.
“Look at us. Agriculture that is the main thing. People say we are hungry.
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“Yes, I understand that. But we cannot just take a free bowl. We must work hard. We’ve sustained twenty-five years of democracy this year, we don’t want to keep the people hungry and angry. But we say be patient.
“There is no free beer parlour anymore. We will retool and rebuild or nation through your cooperation,” Tinubu said.
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Speaking further, the President also bemoaned the fact that the country missed past opportunities to develop its infrastructure, education and other social amenities.
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According to him, while Nigeria was experiencing a boom in economic growth, the leadership at that time failed to develop critical sectors in the country, leading to infrastructure deficit, dilapidated school facilities, among others.
Tinubu mentioned that this the major reason the country now struggles with its current economic challenges, leaving millions to battle with high cost of living as well as the crisis of out of school children.
“No one will do it better than us. Having travelled the world and see developed countries donate themselves to collaboration, inclusiveness and financial structure.
“Yes, there is hardship. But how did we get here? What did we do when we had very high production? We neglected our communities. We neglected the geese that lay the golden eggs. We forget to even give them common decent standard of living. We forget to educate our children.
“Go and look at the schools, they are all ramshackle. Education environment must be decent enough for pupils to want to learn.
“We can continue to complain from now till eternity that the school enrollment is low. Did we even do anything to encourage that education progresses. We must ask ourselves. It’s a matter of conscience,” Tinubu added.
What you should know
Food inflation has become an increasingly worrisome issue in the country as many Nigerians battle with the rising price of food items in the marketplace.
Meanwhile, while the government has declared a state of emergency on food security in the country, the prices of food items continue on an upward trajectory.
In addition, the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), projected that around 26.5 million Nigerians will be at risk of hunger in 2024.
