Minister of Works, David Umahi, has urged Nigerians to stop speaking ill of their country, warning that constant negativity is destroying national morale and undermining progress.
Speaking in Abuja on Sunday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Umahi lamented what he described as a growing culture of negativity and public condemnation of Nigeria, warning that such behaviour harms national progress.
‘I feel so sad when people demarket the country both outside and inside Nigeria, cursing without knowledge,’ the minister said. ‘This is because a job is very easy when you are not the one doing it. Let there be a rethink.’
He advised citizens to put Nigeria first and act with a sense of responsibility. ‘We are all journeying through this life, and there is a need to have lasting treasures beyond this life by putting Nigeria first, by being your brother’s keeper, by doing things with the fear of God,’ he added.
Umahi criticised Nigerians who obey every rule abroad but disregard laws at home. ‘I wonder that when our people go outside the country, they suffer more; they pass through all kinds of humiliations and oppressions; they work sometimes for 19 hours, and they obey all the rules.
‘But when they come here, they break all the rules. That is not good; let us have hope here. This is the only country you can make 100 per cent doing a job, whereas you can’t make more than 10 per cent outside the country,’ he said.
According to him, Nigeria remains a land of opportunity, but many people fail to see it because of their mindset. ‘There are lots of opportunities in Nigeria,’ Umahi stressed. ‘However, people would not see the light if they decided to close their eyes.’
He urged Nigerians to embrace forgiveness and constructive criticism instead of bitterness and despair. ‘There is a saying that ‘forgiveness sets the captive free,’ and when you are forgiven, you will find out that you were the captive. So let us work with the fear of God and support our government, and of course, engage in constructive criticism. Nigeria is great again.’
Umahi also commended President Bola Tinubu’s courage and silence in the face of inherited economic difficulties, describing it as a mark of true leadership.
‘As a former governor, I know what the Tinubu administration inherited,’ he said. ‘Everything became a priority, and the burden of debt became so terrible. When I saw the capital projects, I never knew that debt servicing is drawn from capital projects, and that is where the problem is.’
He continued, ‘So there have been a lot of debts that were kept, and these debts were not used for infrastructure development; otherwise, it would have been a catalyst for development. What we inherited was terrible. But it is a matter of courage, and that is why the president is not complaining – we shall overcome it.’
Umahi expressed optimism that the economy is on a recovery path.
‘All the indices show that the reforms are breathing very well. Inflation has dropped, GDP growth is over 4.23 per cent, and the foreign reserve has climbed over 42 per cent. The worst is over, by the words of the president, and the darkest part of the morning is the dawn,’ he said.
‘The macroeconomy is doing very well. The commitment to infrastructure development will cure the seeming hunger because it will trickle down to the macroeconomy, and that will be a win-win for this nation.’
‘For me, the president has taken back the nation for us. So forget about the noisemakers. There will always be people making noise. I suggest that our generation should work even harder than our forefathers. Hard work pays; it is very important. Even the Bible professes that he that doesn’t work should not eat,’ Umahi stated.