President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday expressed the need for Nigerians to show greater self-denial, sacrifice and patriotism to resolve the myriads of problems confronting the nation.

The president made the appeal in his 2015 Eid-el-Fitr message to the nation.

``I certainly believe that now, more than ever before, our country needs greater self-denial, sacrifice and patriotism from all of its citizens, if we are to quickly recover from our numerous problems and start moving in a positive direction.

``The current period of our life as a nation offers us a great opportunity to break from the vicious triangle of insecurity, corruption and under-development.

``We must collectively resolve to seize this opportunity and unite to confront our problems.

``I remain wholly committed to giving the required leadership towards undoing the wrongs of the past and ensure that Nigeria truly begins to unlock its great potential,’’ he said.

Buhari pledged that his administration would ensure that the benefits of Nigeria’s immense national resources were shared and enjoyed by all.

He said he was aware of the high expectations of the citizens when he assumed office.

He said that he had been working with utmost dedication to meticulously plan and tackle the many national challenges which ``we identified and promised to resolve.

``To succeed however, I need your continued support, understanding and patience.

``I fully understand and share the thirst of my long-suffering compatriots for corruption-free government institutions that work efficiently to deliver visible development for the benefit of all citizens.

``I also share the feelings of those who think that we should be moving faster.

``But I urge them and all Nigerians to trust that my commitment to real and positive change in our nation is as firm as ever,’’ Buhari added.

The President noted that though there was much work to be done, it should be done carefully to ensure that the opportunity Nigerians now have was not lost to the “business as usual” group.

Buhari noted that the adverse effects of years of rot, corruption, inept and bad governance on the nation ``are immense, but certainly not insurmountable’’.

He congratulated all those who successfully completed the Ramadan fast in keeping with the injunction of the Creator.

``Although we have come to the end of this year’s month of Ramadan, I believe that a greater acceptance by Nigerians of its key lessons of self-denial and sacrifice will serve our dear country well.

``May Almighty Allah continue to guide us and bless our dear nation. I wish you all happy Eid-el- Fitr celebration,’’ the president said. (NAN)

Photo shows: Buhari

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