Immediate past Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has urged Nigerians to devote the new year 2021 to sourcing for and administering solutions to the multifarious problems confronting the country.
In his New Year message released in Abuja, Saraki congratulated Nigerians, at home and abroad, who survived the various difficulties experienced in the just ended year and are witnessing the beginning of a new year. He also prayed to God to give fortitude and strength to those who lost their loved ones due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the brutal acts of terrorists, kidnappers and other criminals as well as to families of security agents who died in active service.
“Congratulations to those of us who benefitted from the mercy of Almighty God and are alive today. Last year was very tough and we know how difficult it was for many families to put food on their table. Yet, surviving all the difficulties that we witnessed in 2020 is a testimony to the kindness of God and we deserve to celebrate and praise God for the new year. Happy New Year to all of us”, he stated.
The former Senate President advised further that both leaders and the rest of the citizens should focus on how to generate ideas towards solving the problems of insecurity, economic recession, dearth of necessary infrastructure, collapse of national values, threat to national unity, lack of social welfare and youth restiveness.
He added that the period of lamenting about the problems or trading blames between leaders and followers, between people of different faiths, ethnicity and age groups had gone with 2020.
“We should all focus on finding solutions. We should build conversations on what needs to be done to ensure that our security agencies can work together and have the necessary facilities to eliminate insurgency, kidnapping, robbery and harassment of innocent citizens and foreigners engaged in genuine businesses.
“Both leaders and followers should focus on how we can get the economy working, produce youths who can take advantage of new technology and become key players in the communication technology world, attract foreign direct investments, diversify the economy and make the country more relevant and important in the comity of nations.
“Our focus now should be how to ensure that our youths are gainfully engaged and that we create avenues to appropriate their modern ideas, energy and creativity for the purpose of national development. We should be talking about how to ensure that our education and health systems become revived and able to serve the interest of all.
“In my view the need to concentrate all government, corporate, group and individual efforts towards devising solutions to the various problems should be the pre-occupation of all of us this year. Thus, if we are to give a caption or theme to the new year, it should be ‘2021 – The Year of Search for Solutions to Nigeria’s Problems’. We might not get all the solutions in one year. However, we need to be ready with them such that in the next two or three years or by 2023, we can take off on the journey of rebuilding, rebranding and repositioning the new country we all desire. Anything short of this mindset will not produce the desired results to turn around the fortunes of our dear country and her people”, Saraki stated.
He therefore called on political leaders to suppress the talk about 2023 politics, post-Buhari politics and the ambition to occupy political offices and push all these to the background while concentrating efforts on making 2021 the year to genuinely attend to the problems of the country.
“However, let me reiterate my prayers for our security agents and health officials on the frontlines in the trouble areas of our country and in the various health facilities, combating the criminals in our midst and the Covid-19 pandemic ravaging our country. May Almighty God continue to protect them as they keep their fellow country men and women safe.
“May Almighty God heal our land, protect and unite us, as well as restore the prosperity of our dear country”, Saraki added.
