Atiku Abubakar sues for peace, unity in New Year message

Former Vice President and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has urged Nigerians at home and abroad to reflect on and dedicate themselves to unity, equity, security and development as they welcome the new year of 2016.

In a statement personally signed by him, the Turaki Adamawa said, “I call on fellow countrymen and women to work in concert for nation building and the consolidation of the dividends of our hard-earned democracy.

“Every New Year such as this is a prime time for inner self reflection, stocktaking, resolutions and covenants. Hence, I urge my compatriots to remember their country in their every day prayers and actions throughout 2016 and beyond. For citizens are like spokes in the wheel of national progress; the whole can only function well if the units work positively in tandem. Nigerians should therefore work in concert to make Nigeria the great country of their dream.

“I also call on Nigerians to become the real change-agents that will enthrone good governance, fair play and justice.

“As a firm believer and investor in education as propelling force for development, I task Nigerians to avail the country their enormous human resources and diverse potentials for the benefit of country and citizens.

“We all must pull our abundant human capital together to create, motivate and innovate in a New World Order that boasts of comparative cutting edge advantage. It is the civic responsibility of citizens to pay taxes while it is the duty of political leaders to deploy same for the improvement and development of society.

“Our country can longer relish being a petro-dollar mono economy in the face of global oil glut. Thus our unity in diversity and huge population will come in handy for the diversification of the ailing economy; provide jobs for millions of unemployed youth, and save the society from crime and criminality.

He enjoined Nigerians “to be extra vigilant at all times and report suspicious elements to constituted authorities, especially in view of the strategy of terrorists to hit soft targets,” having been sacked and isolated from territories where they had hitherto held sway.

“It is crystal clear even to his harshest critics that President Muhammadu Buhari means well for the country and intends to spend big and wisely in capital projects that would bring about needed infrastructure and public amenities that would in turn generate massive employment for ready hands. The least I can ask of you is to support him on his avowed commitment to make Nigeria work for all of us,” he stressed.

While wishing Nigerians and friends of Nigeria a splendid Yuletide, Abubakar said that “As good citizens, we should not foreclose the chance of great times to come for our dear people and great country. All we need do now is to dutifully hope, work hard enough, pray fervently, love and respect one another, engage the government constructively and do the needful to reposition and resuscitate Nigeria, to rightfully place her within the Comity of developed Nations.”