Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has emphasized the need for Nigerians to move beyond trading blames and picking faults, urging unity in efforts to save the nation from the pervasive economic challenges and place it on the path of prosperity and progress.
Obaseki, who spoke to journalists in Benin City yesterday, said the country was at a crossroads, restating the need for a serious conversation between citizens and leaders of the country to chart a path for the future of Nigeria.
The governor said the country was in dire need of bold, fearless, and courageous leaders to confront and navigate the difficulties currently facing the nation, taking deliberate steps to put the country on the path of growth and development.
He said: "This is a time that we need fearless leaders that will say things as they are. This is so that we can look for a way out.
"The solution to our national problems can't be restricted to certain ideas as Nigeria is a large country with problems and this is the time for everybody and leaders from the entire spectrum to have a serious conversation about the future of Nigeria.
"This is not the time for trade blaming, fault picking can't be now as we all should come out and put our hands on deck to steer the ship of Nigeria out of troubled waters back to safe water."
While noting that his government had been proactive, making plans when the telltale signs began to show that the nation's economy was going in the wrong direction, Obaseki said the state government had over the past seven and half years embarked on reforms and programmes to place the state on a steady growth trajectory.
"I thank God that we have been vindicated today, as our sincerity has helped us prevail over every situation.
"We see prospects for a better economy because of the institutional reforms we have introduced to better manage the state.
"We have always prevailed because the majority of Edo people understand, appreciate, and endorse what our government has done. This has been the reason for the courage with which we have tackled any problem we faced along the way," Obaseki said.
