TheCable

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, says President Muhammadu Buhari’s “wisdom” helped to “stabilise” Nigeria during its difficult times.  

In a statement celebrating Buhari on the occasion of his 79th birthday, Mohammed said the president has kept the country on a “trajectory of growth and development”.

“On the occasion of Mr President’s 79th birthday, I want to pay tribute to him for his service to the nation. President Muhammadu Buhari’s life has been that of unalloyed service to Nigeria, his country, and to humanity at large,” the statement reads.

“He has been almost everything there is to be in the service of the nation, and he has always given his all each time. Not once has he fallen short.

“He has been soldier, governor, minister, Trust Fund Chairman, Military Head of State, Democratically-elected President (twice).

“He fought a war to keep Nigeria together, and that explains his passion for the country’s unity.

“It is said that everything happens for a reason. That Buhari is in charge of Nigeria at this time is not mere happenstance.

“His years in the military that saw him reaching the peak of his career; his various positions within and outside the military, his global exposure, his unmatched demeanor and, above all, his wisdom have all helped to stabilise Nigeria at the most difficult of times.

“Indeed, President Buhari is a steady hand in troubled times, and that explains why, presiding over the affairs of the country at a most turbulent period, he has managed to keep the nation afloat, and even set it on a trajectory of growth and development.

“Despite a myriad of security challenges, and amidst dwindling national earnings and a crippling global pandemic, he has racked up a number of achievements, most of them unprecedented.”

Mohammed added that Buhari has done well for the country and goes to bed thinking of Nigerians.

“Like I said recently, his achievements may not seem too obvious now, especially with naysayers, sponsored attackers and desperate opposition politicians unrelenting in their craft, but posterity will surely be kind to this man, whose life has meant service to his fatherland, a man who goes to bed at night and wakes up in the morning thinking Nigeria,” he said.

“I believe God has a reason for keeping him alive when many had written him off as dead.”