For the love of the country, Nigerians who share the same vision for a better nation must continue to stick together and work for the progress of Nigeria, according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN.
Osinbajo stated this while interacting with members of the PYO Collective who were on a courtesy visit to the Presidential Villa.
The PYO Collective is a group of journalists and writers who are inspired by the Vice President’s leadership style and his disposition to governance.
The group of 25 journalists and writers led by a veteran journalist, Mr. Richard Akinnola, were at the Villa on a courtesy call on the Vice President following the public presentation, on Monday, of the book titled “Osinbajo Strides: Defining Moments of an Innovative Leader”, which they wrote in his honour.
Speaking about his hope and motivation for a greater nation, Prof. Osinbajo said “no matter our disappointments, because we love this country, we must keep working at it because love is persistent. All of us who believe in this country must stick together and we must keep working for the good of our country, day by day.”
The Vice President commended the drive and imagination of the group, endorsing all of its ideals and vision for Nigeria. He said many are interested in this Nigerian project but not everyone is prepared to take the trouble to do what is right and to join groups, just to see how these things about making Nigeria great can happen.
Said he, “but the truth is that we are all in this same boat. Many times, we just give up and some may wonder ‘is the country cursed? But then the next opportunity, we are there hoping and praying that this country works.
“If I were not the Vice President, I probably would be a member of PYO Collective writing about some other guy who we think might carry forward our aspirations. I think that we form a peculiar group of individuals not just people who are talking about Nigeria informally, but people who are even prepared to do something in their own various ways.
“I am really excited about what has happened and also the fact that this book has been written. But I see the book more as an expression of our collective desire to see something good and different happen in this country, which was why I said yesterday that I dedicate the book to the Nigerian people, that was exactly how I felt.”
Recalling an interaction with a petty trader during one of his visits to Kebbi State in 2019, the VP said “everywhere you go across this country, people just want this country to work. I have been around this country and know people just want things to work. And the belief is that somehow those of us in positions of authority can make things better.”
Earlier in his introductory remarks, the spokesman to the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande observed that the PYO Collective was formed as a result of the inspiration drawn from the Vice President’s different disposition to governance, impacting the less privileged and insisting on excellence.
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