I came to Aso Rock to work, not for money, says Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu says his goal is to serve the nation and deliver meaningful results to Nigerians, rather than seek personal gain.

Tinubu spoke in Abuja on Friday when he received members of the forum of former presiding officers of the national assembly, led by Ken Nnamani, ex-senate president.

The forum comprises 16 former presiding officers of the national assembly, including past senate presidents, former speakers of the house of representatives, ex-deputy senate presidents, and former deputy speakers.

“I didn’t come to look for money and exploit the situation; I came to work. I asked for the votes, and Nigerians gave them to me,” the president said.

He acknowledged the support given to him by members of the forum, regardless of political differences.

He charged them to continue to promote the unity and cooperation of Nigeria to further national development.

Speaking on the complexities of legislative functions, constitutional amendments, and the nation-building process, Tinubu expressed optimism that Nigeria would progress through collaboration and inclusiveness.

“Regardless of party differences of the past and the difficulty of the present, you still believe in me and what we all planned for this country,” he said.

“I thank you very much; no one will do it better than us. I have travelled the world and seen how developed countries have done it for themselves through collaboration, inclusiveness, and financial structure.”

The president also reflected on the prevailing economic hardship, questioning the mismanagement of past opportunities during the period of high crude oil production.

“Yes, there is hardship, but how did we get here? What did we do when we had very high crude production?” Tinubu questioned.

“We neglected our communities; we neglected the goose that lays the golden eggs; we forgot even to give them a good standard of living.

“We forgot to educate our children. Go round and look at the dilapidated schools. The education environment must be decent enough for pupils to want to learn.

“We can complain from now till eternity that school enrolment is low. But did we do anything to encourage the enrolment process? We must ask ourselves because it is a matter of conscience.”

The president outlined his administration’s priorities, which he said include improving infrastructure, ensuring compliance with financial regulations, exploring alternative energy sources, and securing energy independence.

“We have come a long way, and I promise we must do our best,” he added.

He urged the former presiding officers to keep contributing their expertise to nation-building.

Speaking on behalf of the delegation, Nnamani pledged the forum’s support for Tinubu’s administration and its efforts to address the country’s pressing challenges.

The former senate president noted that the meeting was Tinubu’s first official engagement with the group since assuming office on May 29, 2023.

“Mr. President, history has never been the burden of one man alone, but some are called to meet the special share of its challenges,” he said.

“Though not of your creation, it has fallen on you to end the pervasive insecurity across the nation, the economic downturn that has resulted in hunger and anger, infrastructural decay due to years of neglect, and myriads of other national challenges.

“As difficult as these problems are, we believe that with your experience, you can face the difficulties and surmount them.

“What gives us more hope is the courage with which you handled the issue of local government autonomy, which has won you open admiration from friends and foes alike.

“We are convinced that you will dig in deeper again to eradicate these problems and restore Nigeria’s pride of place among the comity of nations.”