The Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed, on Saturday, urged Nigerians to be patriotic so that the country could have meaningful development.
The minister made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of a wedding ceremony at the Nigerian Air Force Protestant Church, Sam Ethnan Air Force Base, Ikeja, Lagos.
He said that Nigerians needed to know that the change they wanted to see in the government should begin from individual homes.
“We quite appreciate the aspirations of Nigerians and the government remains focused and determined to ensure that all the promises regarding the economy and creating more jobs will come through.
“We also need the support of Nigerians. They should appreciate the fact that there is no magic that can be done to turn around any economy at the speed they are demanding.
“Everybody must play his or her own role by being patriotic and making sure we do not incite violence against ourselves or the government.
“Nigeria consists of multicultural and multi-religious groups. We have Muslims, Christians, Ibo, Hausa, Yoruba and others. We must all strive to build that bridge of unity and understanding”, he said.
The also said that the ‘change begins with me’ campaign was one of the biggest legacies which the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration wanted to give to Nigerians.
“The philosophy behind the campaign is that the change we are talking about should start with you for it to become holistic.’
“You have your roles, just like the government does. Embrace punctuality, honesty and unity. We are going to enforce that campaign this time around.
“We will get it on air, as we are also looking for sponsors because until that change is internalised, government can do but little,” he said. NAN