TheCable

Boss Mustapha, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), has asked Nigerians to stop saying the country is not working for them.

Speaking during an event to celebrate its 65th birthday on Saturday, Mustapha said there is power in the tongue, adding that what people say about the country is what they get.

The SGF encouraged Nigerians to renew their commitment towards the growth and development of the country, adding that they have the unique strength of overcoming challenges collectively.

“Nigeria is known for its human and material resources. We are not where we want to be as a nation, but the craft of building nationhood is a gradual process,” he said.

“We have had our fair share of crises, but we have overcome those crises and the future is bright.

“This is our country, where everybody has the opportunity to ventilate aspirations. We have to get ourselves out of the mode of thinking that Nigeria is not working for us.

“You see the power of life and death is in the tongue. What you say about your country is what you get.”

Mustapha said the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of countries with established democracies.

He asked Nigerians to imbibe the core values of democracy by respecting each other’s rights for the betterment of the country.

“As a matter of fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the weaknesses of the global system. Systems that we thought were perfect; one little virus came in and exposed the world,” he added.

“We must, at this point, imbibe the core values of democracy, by respecting each other’s rights and pursue individual goals in tandem with our national objectives for a better Nigeria.”