Former Vice President Abubakar Atiku has described the outgoing 2016 as a year in which Nigeria faced a multitude of challenges but still ended on a good note.
Atiku, in a statement released to mark the New Year celebrations, declared 2017 as a year of new hope for Nigeria and Nigerians.
He said, “Our military has recorded an important victory over Boko Haram and we should be grateful for the sacrifice our men and women in uniform are prepared to make to keep us safe. To honour them, we should also remember that it is our collective responsibility to make peace, and not just in the North East.
“I believe we can and will work around our differences, because we know that our strength lies in our diversity. And when we make our New Year’s resolutions, I hope my countrymen and countrywomen will join me in aspiring to be tolerant and to listen with an open mind and heart to those who do not share our views. We should respect each other’s views and traditions, and we should remember that our humanity shows in how we treat the most vulnerable.”
On the economic challenges Nigeria is facing, the Turakin Adamawa said, “I am confident that we will see investments in key sectors, and that steps will be taken to restore business confidence. We’ve been dealt a cruel hand, but things are looking up, and I’m confident, we will emerge stronger: we’re learning to be more efficient and effective, and we’re learning to evaluate what we really need and what we can afford. We’re suffering, but we’ll become more innovative and competitive.”
He stressed that hope was important to all we aim to achieve in 2017, as that hope and perseverance will guide us through the darkness that announces the break of dawn.
The former vice president thanked God for seeing Nigeria through a tough year, noting that the rest of the journey could only be made possible with God’s help.
