Former President Shehu Shagari has urged Nigerians and the international community to support President Muhammadu Buhari and his administration, saying he was an honest, incorruptible and detribalised leader.
Shagari, who clocked 92 on Saturday, said that the president was doggedly fighting corruption to sanitise governance in the country and therefore, needed the prayers and support of all Nigerians.
He told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Sokoto that Buhari was a true nationalist whose penchant for Nigeria’s socio-economic development was unparalleled.
He said that the president was striving to salvage the country from the hands of anti-Nigeria forces, and appealed to Nigerians to continue to pray for leaders at all levels ”rather than cursing them’’.
”Buhari is also intensifying efforts to truly diversify the economy by taking attention away from heavy dependence on oil revenue,” the former president said.
He expressed satisfaction with the efforts so far made by the present administration to improve the security situation in Nigeria and urged the government not to relent.
Meanwhile, Captain Bala Shagari (retd), eldest son of the former president, has described his father as “humble and disciplined,” saying they were proud of him.
He said that the family was grateful to God for the life of their father, adding that it was a blessing that he had lived to 92 years and was still strong.
”We must show gratitude to Almighty Allah for his longevity. Our father is an invaluable blessing from God; he is free with us and always provides wisdom and guidance to us.
” He is never greedy and he is a person who never solicits for anything or position, only gets it purely on merit,” Shagari added.