The President, Muhammadu Buhari,
on Saturday, in Abuja, said he never knew he would lead Nigeria let alone lead
it twice as a military Head of State in 1983 and for two terms as a civilian
President from 2015 to 2023.
According to Buhari, “As
students, we were told that we were the leaders of tomorrow. I never knew that
I would one day lead my country, much less lead it twice as a military officer
and as a civilian,” Buhari told a delegation of about 40 children he hosted at
the Council Chamber of the State House to mark his last Children’s Day
celebration as President.
He also launched his comic book
highlighting seven roles children can play in building the nation.
Senior Special Assistant to the
President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, revealed this in a statement he
signed late Saturday night, titled: “President Buhari hosts children at State
House, unveils his comic book on children’s role in nation building.”
Shehu informed that Buhari
expressed fulfilment in interacting with the children on the cusp of his exit
from office after his eight-year Presidency, stressing that children are the
leaders of tomorrow.
The President who encouraged the
children to be good citizens before becoming leaders said, “God spared my life
to grow up from a child to an adult. As students, we were told that we were the
leaders of tomorrow. I never knew that I would one day lead my country, much
less lead it twice as a military officer and as a civilian.
“Therefore, I would like to say
that among you, there are future councillors, lawmakers, governors, and
presidents. But you must first be good citizens before you become leaders.”
Reminding the children of their
ultimate destiny, he said, “The country is going to be in your hands one day.
We are not going to import foreigners to come and run our country. We must do
that ourselves.
“When we say the future of the country is in
your hands, we are not doing you any favour. It is a fact of life. That is why
I find it satisfying that I am having this interaction with you.
“I am privileged to be standing
in front of a new generation of future citizens and leaders to whom we hope to
bequeath a country they can be proud of and a country they will take higher in
the comity of nations when it is their turn to serve their fatherland,” Buhari
stated.
While asking the children what
kind of Nigeria they want, the former military ruler underscored the importance
of honesty, patriotism and unity in building a peaceful and prosperous nation.
“When I talk about a country full
of honest people and patriotic citizens, I am not talking about some aliens. I
am talking about you.
“The future starts with you. If
you are going to be honest, it starts today, not when you get into public
office or become a Managing Director. If you are going to be patriotic, it
starts today, not when you have finished school,” he said.
In the comic book titled, “How To
Make Nigeria Great,” the President outlined seven lessons from the publication
that will help shape the future of a great country.
The lessons include – believing
in God and loving Nigeria, understanding and respecting our differences, living
by the rules, thinking for the community, embracing good values, seeing
government money as our money, and being good children at home and in school.
Buhari expressed gratitude to the
children for spending time with him and concluded his speech by reiterating a
statement he made about four decades ago: “I said something in 1984 and I will
end this speech by repeating it, ‘We have no other country but Nigeria. We will
stay here and salvage it together.’”
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