A retired director with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Raheem Olalere Salami, yesterday called on Nigerians to be resilient and patient with President Muhammadu Buhari and the federal government in the wake of economic recession.
He made the statement at a public lecture on financial management held in Abuja, saying it was the responsibility of Nigerians to be patient, so as not to force the government to commit unnecessary errors.
According to him, support and positive engagement by the citizens were necessary for democratic development.
He said the economic downturn affecting Nigeria will soon come to an end, but quickly added that the citizens, irrespective of their status, must be patient with the government.
“We, as a people, and nation must be positively minded. We must begin to equate with government policies and initiatives which seek to introduce our people to self-sufficiency through industrial development and hard work.”
He said this was not the first time Nigeria would be undergoing difficult times, and recalled that President Shehu Shagari had, during the Second Republic, introduced austerity measures as a means of galvanising public awareness towards shouldering the burden of economic challenges that befell the country.
