By Egena Sunday Ode
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to building a prosperous Nigeria and investing in the future of young people after a rare privilege of praying inside the Holy Ka’abah in Makkah.
The President, who is in Saudi Arabia for Umrah, was granted access to the Ka’abah by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.
He was led into the Ka’abah by Sheikh Dahlulah Muthawal of Masjid al-Haram, where he offered prayers of gratitude for the privilege of serving as President.
Tinubu thanked King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the honour, describing it as historic and deeply cherished.
“I want to say a big thank you for the faith, for the recognition. I can’t believe the fencing of the Ka’abah is in Green-White-Green, which reminds us of the Nigerian identity.
“I thank the Crown Prince and all the administrators of the holy land. It is an honour that I enjoyed, and it is gracious of them to have allowed me to enter inside the Ka’abah. This is history,” Tinubu said.
The President said he prayed for wisdom and resilience to continue serving Nigerians and expressed confidence that his prayers had been answered.
“Well, I asked for wisdom and resilience to continue to serve the people. I know that prayer has been granted. Before the 2023 election, I did the same thing. I asked Allah to bless my Umrah then, and He did. And I promised that I would come back to thank Him,” he said.
Citing Surah Aal-Imran, Verse 26, Tinubu said power is a trust that must be exercised with humility and in service of the people, noting that ultimate sovereignty belongs to Allah.
“There is no other God but Almighty Allah. He is the giver and the taker. He owns power and authority,” he said.
The President said his faith had strengthened his conviction that his emergence as leader was a divine favour that must be matched with service.
“Out of many millions of people, to be the President and Commander-in-Chief is a favour that only Almighty God can do to a human being,” he said.
Tinubu said his commitment to Project Nigeria is higher and that his administration would pursue policies that promote prosperity and shared progress.
“My commitment to Project Nigeria is higher. I am determined to usher in prosperity and fully develop the country, consistent with the wish of Allah and the support of the people,” he said.
On the economy, he said the foundation is solid and the country has come out of a dark tunnel.
“The foundation is solid, and the economy has come out of the dark tunnel. This is inspiring,” he said, adding that nation-building requires investment in youths.
“We need to build a future for our youth. If we don’t invest in their future, how do we want to be remembered as leaders 50 years from now?”
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