Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has absolved President Bola Tinubu of any blame over the current economic situation in the country, saying the situation preceded his ascendancy to office.
Oyebanji, who spoke on Friday in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital during the monthly Evening of Praise and Worship programme, said the President could fix the current challenges if given ample time and the necessary support.
The governor, who spoke in Ado Ekiti during the monthly Evening of Praise and Worship programme on Friday, urged Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government and that the palliatives would not bring a permanent solution to the food crisis in the country.
He also appealed to Nigerians to embrace farming and become productive in their way, while supporting the country’s growth and development in the process.
He said, “I just want to encourage us today as children of God to keep faith in God and amplify our prayers for Nigeria, for Ekiti State and the President. I understand what we are going through. The truth is that the President is not the cause of these crises, but God has prepared him for a time like this. What he needs is our support, our prayers, our understanding and our encouragement.
“I thank Ekiti people for maintaining peace and I promise that we’ll continue to lessen these burdens, but the truth of the matter, which many people don’t want to hear, is that palliatives will not solve these problems. It can only be a temporary measure. When you gave someone a bag of rice, in two weeks, it would have finished.
“We must be able to grow ourselves out of hunger, which is what the President told us last week. The government will do its bit but you have to go back to the farm. No matter how small, let’s start bit by bit, you have to grow what you will eat and at least be able to feed ourselves.”