‘Nigeria Will be Lending to Nations by 2026’: First Lady, Remi Tinubu

• Nigeria First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has predicted that a time would come when the country will lend money to other nations, saying great prosperity lies ahead.

Nigeria First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has predicted that a time would come when the country will lend money to other nations, saying great prosperity lies ahead.

Senator Tinubu spoke on Sunday in Ile-Ife, Osun State, shortly after she was conferred with the chieftaincy title of Yeye Asiwaju Gbogbo Ile Oodua, at a well attended event, commemorating the 10th coronation anniversary of Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo was joined by the wife of the Vice President, Nana Shettima, ex-First Lady, Patience Jonathan, Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Ogun State Governor,  Dapo Abiodun, and a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, at the event.

Also at the event were the dignitaries that include ex-Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Dr Obafemi Hamzat, the Speaker, Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, Deputy Governor of Osun State, Kola Adewusi, and former Osun First Lady, Kafayat Oyetola.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III, the Orangun of Ila, Oba Abdulwahab Oyedotun, and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Ghandi Olaoye, were some of the traditional rulers present at the event.

Mrs Tinubu, who commended Ooni for the title bestowed on her, further said, “Today is a not a day of long speeches, I want to thank the people of Ile-Ife, I also thank the Ooni of Ile-Ife for bestowing such honour.

“Nigeria’s joy has come; those wondering how we want to do it, we will show them how things are being done. By 2026, Nigeria will be in prosperity; we will be lending to other nations.

“It is important to say it here at the source of the Yoruba race today, that during the  administration of President Bola Tinubu, people will wonder how he has able to achieve such milestone,” she said in mixture of Yoruba and English language.

Speaking earlier, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Ogunwusi, said Oluremi Tinubu had supported him since he ascended the throne, noting the significance role that ex-President Obasanjo had also been playing to support the throne.

In his goodwill message, the Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar, prayed for long reign for Ooni, asking for prayers for leaders in the country for them to lead the people in right direction.

Governor Adeleke, while addressing the gathering, said Oba Ogunwusi had brought a touch of class to royalty and rebranded the tradition, making Yoruba, a proud nation all over the world.

“Our royal father demonstrated what it means to have an empowered royal father. With strong economic footing and limitless capacity for local and global networking, his majesty changes the narration of traditional rulership. In the last one decade, his imperial majesty has pushed ahead with the branding of Ile-Ife as the cultural capital of the Yoruba people.”

Adeleke said the state government would an ally in the Ooni “as we implement that same vision of an upgraded cultural capital of Yoruba people.”

 “In line with that vision, our government embarked on an infrastructure upgrade of Ile-Ife with 14 roads completed so far and several others ongoing. We are about to complete the first ever flyover in this cradle of Yoruba nation,” Adeleke said.