TheCable

President Muhammadu Buhari says it pleases him that the Nigerian elite has realised that changing the country is a task for everyone.

According to a statement by Femi Adesina, presidential spokesman, Buhari spoke on Sunday at a dinner in honour of the 2022 committee of business, political, media and civil society leaders.

Buhari had in January 2021, accused the Nigerian elite of harassing his government.

In another instance, he asked the elite to be fair in their criticism of his administration, said they (elite) “are not interested in rating the competence” of his administration despite its efforts.

He had also accused the elite of making expensive demands and allegedly conniving with foreign firms to defraud the country.

The president, who noted that he has always been critical of the elite, said his government may have fared better if it had the support of the elite from the outset.

”I take this initiative to mean that you all intend to collaborate with this administration in that direction,” Buhari said.

”For those among you who are politicians, you must look beyond gaining power to how you can leverage public positions in the process of societal change. To the businessmen and women among you, there is great glory in public service.

”The question that should be uppermost always is: How do we leverage our business endowment for the greater good of our country?

”I am delighted that members of the Nigerian elite have woken up to the fact that the task of changing this society is a task for all of us, whether we are in the private or public sector. Knowing that, we have enormous challenges as a nation, but they are not beyond our capacity to overcome if we embrace a new approach.

”We cannot retreat to our ethnic cocoons, nor can we continue to seek solace in our past. We must champion the idea of a Nigeria where every citizen would be proud to call their own. That is the charge before you.

”As we all know, I have been very critical of the Nigerian elites, essentially because some of us have not always demonstrated that we can rise above personal gain, political partisanship as well as ethnic and religious differences when the situation demands that we all speak and or act as one in the interest of our country.

“But we probably would have fared even better if we secured the support of most of you that are here today, know that while government comes and goes, the country must remain and thrive.

”There are also many among our elites for whom profit remains the only motivation for any and every enterprise.

”But now, I feel heartened that a more collaborative social enterprise model for resolving our common challenges is being forged.”