Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
President Bola Tinubu, has met Nigerians in the Diaspora, describing the nation’s diversity as an “asset” that will bring foster prosperity to Nigeria if properly harnessed.
Tinubu said this at an interactive session with Nigerians in Paris on Friday.
Tinubu associated the diversity in Nigeria to that of siblings “born of the same father in the same house except living in different rooms.”
The president said Nigeria belongs to everyone, adding that unity and economic justice must be promoted for the benefit of all citizens.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us. Our diversity is an asset if we know how to use it for our prosperity.
“Born of the same father in the same house, except living in different rooms. We must promote unity, stability and economic justice for every one of us.”
Tinubu, while speaking on the subsidy removal, said many of his associates thought his announcement of the removal was a “joke”.
The president said petrol subsidy was a system devised to benefit a few wealthy individuals.
“They thought it was the joke of the century until I called NNPC. We are tired of feeding smugglers, making a few people rich, and subsidising the next-door neighbour.
“I met with the president of the Benin Republic today. Everybody is equal now, we are friends. We are conjoined twins joined by the hips, how we will separate each other is with this fuel subsidy.”
Nigeria’s ambassador to France, Kayode Laro said the interactive session shows Tinubu has the interest of Nigerians in the diaspora at heart.
Also speaking, the chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa appealed president Tinubu to give “prominence” to Nigerians in the diaspora in his policies and programmes, saying that the commission has a lot of challenges.