Former President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, has advised the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who is due to be inaugurated on Monday, May 29, to see himself as a father to all and use his administration as a force to bond Nigerians together.
Kenyatta gave the admonition on Saturday, while delivering a keynote address at the presidential inauguration lecture held ahead of Tinubu’s swearing-in on May 29.
According to Kenyatta, now that elections are over, the onus now falls on the incoming president to unite all citizens irrespective of their religion, tribe, political and other affiliations.
The former Kenyan President stated, “The contest is now over, and the hard work of building a prosperous and unified Nigeria now begins.”
He said, “Upon assuming the office of president, you would be wise to transcend the tactical politics of an election and assume your role as Nigeria’s vision bearer.
“This will demand a complete overhaul of the adversarial mindset that we as politicians are conditioned to embrace during the electoral process.
“As president, you must learn very quickly to lead those who love you and those who don’t with equal passion and commitment because now, you are the father of all.”
On its part, the African Development Bank has tasked the incoming president to rise above party lines and other affiliations and forge economic policies with compelling force to move the nation forward.
The President of the Bank, Akinwumi Adesina who bared his mind in a speech he delivered during the inaugural lecture for the new President at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, noted that Nigeria will be looking up to Tinubu to revive the many fiscal challenges, including insecurity, that have conspired to weigh down the country, and divide the people.
He cautioned that Nigerians specifically desire a new administration that will guarantee security, peace, and stability and spark a new wave of prosperity that would unite the fractious nation and drastically improve the economy.
“The starting point must be macroeconomic and fiscal stability. Unless the economy is revived and fiscal challenges addressed boldly, resources to develop will not be there. No bird can fly if its wings are tied.”
Nigeria currently faces huge fiscal deficits, estimated at 6 % of GDP. This has been due to huge federal and state government expenditures, lower receipts due to dwindling revenues from export of crude oil, vandalism of pipelines and illegal bunkering of crude oil.
According to Nigeria’s Debt Management Office, Nigeria now spends 96% of its revenue servicing debt, with the debt-to-revenue ratio rising from 83.2 percent in 2021 to 96.3 percent by 2022.