UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed speaking during the award dinner at the Nigeria House in New York
By agency reports
United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed has said that it was God who made President Bola Tinubu the President of Nigeria, even though he worked very hard to get to the seat.
Mohammed also noted that she never at any time heard Tinubu complain about the challenges he inherited from his predecessor the late former President Muhammadu Buhari since assuming office as president.
Mohammed made the remarks during an award dinner at the Nigeria House in New York to celebrate Nigeria’s 65th independence anniversary and the Independence Day Parade and Carnival.
The UN deputy chief said: “Despite saying it was his turn, Tinubu fought hard to get to that seat.
“But he also told us that he wasn’t going to complain about what he got. I have not heard him complain.
“People around him complain about what he inherited but he doesn’t.”
She further said: “Tinubu is the president of Nigeria. It is God that put him on that seat.
“It is, therefore, incumbent upon us to get behind him and do the best we can for Nigeria.
“Except you’re trying to tell me that God made a mistake.”
Mohammed congratulated Nigeria and Nigerians on the nation’s 65th Independence Anniversary, saying the future was bright for the country.
“We are a work in progress and we are 65 years old as a country.
“However, unless you are part of building a nation, no one else is going to do it for you.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are in the country or outside the country,” she said.
Mohammed called for concerted efforts to build the country and not pull it down, saying, “if we get into the pull-down syndrome, then who else is going to pull us up?
“What else are we telling our children? What else are we telling people that we want as our partners?
“If we are the first people to say that we’re no good, we’re not good enough, and I hope that we just stop doing that.
“This is because Nigerians are the hardest working, most ambitious and proud people.”
She recounted the great work that she and other African women had done at the UN and other international organisations to uplift humanity.
The former Nigerian Minister of Environment urged Nigerians in the Diaspora to go back home, not as visitors but as stakeholders that would spend quality time in the country and as investors.
Mohammed, who will complete two-term tenure of eight years as Deputy UN Secretary-General on Dec. 31, 2025, said she looked forward to returning home to contribute to Africa’s development.
“I hope that all of you will pray for my safe return home again next year, because there are things to do at home.
“There are things to do on the continent, and we have to go back, and we have to shape that,” she said.
Mohammed called for youth mentorship and empowerment, saying they made up of 70 per cent of the nation’s population and have energy and vision.
She said: “Intergenerational dialogue must happen and we have to listen to them” adding, “let’s make sure that we’re pushing them further.”
The UN deputy scribe said the older generation must give the youth a chance by “standing beside them because we have the wisdom and the experience”.
She particularly called for the empowerment of women by giving them opportunities to contribute to peace and development.
According to her, Nigeria can realise its potential faster with women given more opportunities.
“And that means that Nigeria is flying on half a wing. We have an eagle. It’s only got one wing, and the other wing has to be lifted for us to fly higher.
“So women count. They count not just because of the numbers, but because of using the value of professional women, or women at home, or rural women or women in politics.
“Let’s not lose the other half because without it, we will not stand. We will not fly by itself,” Mohammed said.
The UN deputy chief also commended the Federal Government on the recent introduction of Chinese language into Nigeria’s school curriculum, saying “Chinese is a language of trade and China is a huge trading country with the world.”
Meanwhile, in a related development, a former chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in South Africa, Bola Babarinde, said President Tinubu’s philosophy and legacy must not be allowed to fade with time.
This is contained in a statement Sunday by Babarinde and made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
He noted that the ongoing reforms by the president would foster stability and growth, infrastructure development; strengthen democratic institutions and social welfare programmes that would benefit all citizens.
“These will create a lasting legacy of progress, enabling continued development and national unity beyond the President Bola Tinubu’s term in office,” said the general secretary of the Renewed Hope Global stated.
According to him, the philosophy and loyal followers of past political leaders in the country faded away after their deaths because their activities were neither formalised nor structured to outlive them.
Babarinde, however, said that this was the best time to document, formalise and globalise Tinubu’s leadership philosophy and legacy while he is still alive.
He said that Tinubu’s life work in building people, developing institutions, and fostering a culture of bold innovation must be immortalised through an organised movement dedicated to sustaining his vision for generations to come.
“Every great leader leaves behind more than memories; they leave systems.
“The legacy of Bola Tinubu, the man who built men, empowered minds, and inspired courage, must therefore not be eroded.
“It must be immortalised, institutionalised, and sustained for the collective good of humanity,” he said.
According to him, since Tinubu’s days as the governor of Lagos state through to his current position, he has been consistently mentoring loyal, capable, and progressive-minded individuals who share his vision.
Babarinde also said that had 40 percent of those Tinubu mentored adopted his spirit of mentorship and empowerment, the ripple effect would have transformed society and inspired global admiration.
“Unfortunately, many of those he helped rise to prominence have not replicated his selflessness or audacity in creating opportunities for others.
“That gap underscores the urgency of institutionalising his philosophy so that future generations can study, emulate, and expand upon it,” he said.
Babarinde, however, called on the president to personally launch the “Bola Tinubu Club,” outlining its core values, objectives, and structure, so that his insights and methods could be captured authentically and passed on to posterity.
“There is therefore nothing inherently wrong with belonging to a fraternity so long as it exists for the advancement of mankind and the service of humanity,” he said. (NAN)
