President Bola Tinubu acknowledged the difficult economic situation in the country and appealed to Nigerians to endure what he termed “unintentional hardship.”
He further emphasized that he does not take pleasure in causing suffering to Nigerians and assured them that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
President Tinubu made these remarks at the 48th convocation ceremony of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State. Represented by Tope Fasua, the Special Adviser on Economy in the Office of the Vice President, he stated that he had accepted both the assets and liabilities inherited from his predecessors.
The President reassured the public that his reform policies are designed to make Nigeria work for everyone, but he acknowledged that the accompanying hardships must be endured for the time being.
“I am not unaware of the harsh economic situation of our country, neither do I take pleasure in inflicting pains and anguish on my compatriots.
“However, we were faced with the stark reality of results of some policies hitherto executed by past administrations, but which had no direct positive impact on the generality of our people.
“We have gladly accepted the assets and liability of our heroes past without any intention of apportioning blames or pointing an accusing finger at any individual or group of people.
“As we are trying to fix, reconfigure and correct past mistakes and errors, we implore all Nigerians to cooperate with us, endure this unintentional hardship so that, like the graduates of today, we all can celebrate and be celebrated at the end of the day.
“I am certainly seeing the light at the end of our tunnel,” he added.
In his address, the Chancellor of the University, Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, emphasized that the foundation of every nation lies in its investment in education, which drives its development and competitiveness in the global arena.
The Pro-Chancellor, Professor Siyan Oyeweso, urged the 977 postgraduate graduates to apply their knowledge in building a nation full of opportunities for future generations.
A key highlight of the event was the conferring of honorary doctorates on First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu, Dr. Akin Ogunbiyi, Professor Anthony Adegbulugbe, MTN Nigeria CEO Karl Toriola, and Daere Afonya-A Akobo.
