I came to work for Nigerians, not to look for money - Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu has said his main intention in office is to serve Nigerians diligently and not to take advantage of his office for personal gain.

The President made this known during a meeting with the Forum of Former Presiding Officers of the National Assembly, led by former Senate President Ken Nnamani, at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja on Friday, September 20, 2024.

“I didn’t come to look for money and exploit the situation; I came to work. I asked for the votes, and Nigerians gave them to me,” Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga said in a statement.

Tinubu restated his administration's focus on delivering tangible results and making a positive difference in infrastructure, food and energy security, education and long-term economic stability.

The meeting was attended by 16 former presiding officers, including former Senate presidents, former Speakers of the House of Representatives, former deputy Senate presidents, and former Deputy Speakers of the House of Representatives.

Tinubu acknowledged the support and encouragement from the Forum members, regardless of their party affiliations.

He implored them to continue to foster unity and camaraderie to achieve national developmental goals.

The President also highlighted the complex nature of legislative activities, constitutional reviews, and nation-building processes, expressing confidence that Nigeria can progress through collaboration and inclusiveness.

“Regardless of party differences of the past and difficulty of the present, you still believe in me and what we all plan for this country. I thank you very much; no one will do it better than us. I have travelled the world and seen how developed countries have done it for themselves through collaboration, inclusiveness, and financial structure.

“Yes, there is hardship, but how did we get here? What did we do when we had very high crude production? We neglected our communities; we neglected the goose that lays the golden eggs; we forgot even to give them a good standard of living.

“We forgot to educate our children. Go around and look at the dilapidated schools. The education environment must be decent enough for pupils to want to learn. We can complain from now till eternity that the school enrolment is low. But did we do anything to encourage the enrolment process? We must ask ourselves because it is a matter of conscience,” he said.