President Bola Tinubu has said he was determined to change the narrative of the country which he described as ‘a crawling country in the committee of thriving economies, especially in terms of development indices relating to green energy and the environment.
Tinubu assured that he would bring about a transformative government in the country.
He gave this assurance when he hosted to the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, at the Presidential Villa Abuja on Sunday.
Speaking on the Supreme Court judgment that affirmed his election as President, he said the court verdict has put paid to needless distraction from his political opponents.
He said “I know Germany has advanced a lot in protecting the environment and modernising energy to meet the 21st century needs both of the world and Europe in particular.
“Nigeria is still crawling, but we are determined to change the narrative and bring about a transformative government in the country.
“It is a profound pleasure for me to welcome my friend Olaf Scholz to Nigeria. It is a joy to see you here. At this particular period of time. It was just about a few days ago that the Supreme Court of the Federal Republic of Nigeria had a final say on our electoral exercise.
“The distraction is over. This gives us more time to focus on governance for the people and moving Nigeria forward for economic opportunities and prosperity that will defend democracy.
“In our last tete-a-tete, you made a promise that you would be visiting Nigeria and thank you and your delegation for keeping that promise. It is an honor for me to see you here.”
He told Scholz that the business community in the country is not averse to forging a partnership with Germany which is one of the largest economies in Europe.
He added that Nigeria was also the largest economy in Africa, saying it is equally blessed with a good environment, time of weather and mineral resources.
“Our hydrocarbon industry is still fledging environmentally while we are moving towards the transition energy source.
“You are very welcome with your delegation to partner with us in terms of education, power, mineral resources and all the other opportunities. We have gone a long way to bring about the security of our people.
“We’re fighting terrorism and that is improving. We still need much support in that area. And for us to be able to sustain democracy, the rule of law and freedom for our people, we need to fight for democracy. Democracy must win at all times for us to meet the expectations of an African dream. That is why your visit this time around is more than necessary and welcome. I hope you will enjoy yourself.
“You will have noticed, that I don’t need to go about the various problems happening in the Sahel region of Africa. You’ve seen and noticed the coup in Guinea and recently in the Niger Republic.
“We had people diplomatically managing the situation. The need for you to help in that of security will be emphasised and we will continue to require your knowledge. We thank you for your past contributions, particularly the police, and law enforcement training. We need more help.”
Responding, Scholz reiterated Germany’s commitment to democracy and the rule of law.
