I don’t want to be greedy – Tinubu speaks on richest Yoruba claim
– Bola Tinubu says he is contented with what he has achieved so far
– The politician said Babatunde Fashola is his biggest legacy
– He says he is no the richest Yoruba
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has said that the claim that he is the richest Yoruba man alive is not true and that he his contented with what he has without being greedy.
In a published interview by The News titled Asiwaju: Untold Story of The Leader, Tinubu talked about his journey to being a politician and all he has been through as a party chieftain.
READ ALSO: 64th birthday: Prominent Nigerians celebrate Tinubu (photos)
When asked if he was the richest Yoruba man, he replied: “If you are talking in monetary terms, it is a lie. But I want them to continue to believe that I am rich. The fact is that I cannot prepare for my death. I want to live long and I believe in people and I believe in sharing. So, whatever you ascribe to me in terms of wealth is your own imagination. I will not do two cheques – one to the Central Bank of Heaven and the other one to the Central Bank of Hell – cashable when I am dead. The money will remain here. I don’t want to be greedy, but frugal with the little I have and be contented. There are certain things they can’t dispute and one of these is that I wasn’t a poor man when I joined politics. I financed the struggle during the NADECO days. Before the NADECO days, I financed political goals and aspirations. I financed political groups and individuals.
“No matter how you dream, it is empty without financial success. If you have no concrete financial progress for a state or an entity, it will not endure. I have not taken Lagos to bankruptcy. It was bankrupt before I took over, I turned it into a success within my two-terms as governor. It had existed for so long before I became governor.
“During my tenure, former president Olusegun Obasanjo described Lagos as an urban jungle and uninhabitable. But he chose to celebrate his 75th birthday in Lagos! There was a dispute on the Bar Beach during my tenure, but if I didn’t rigidly follow my vision and my belief in Lagos state, Victoria Island would have been submerged.”
He revealed that Babatunde Fashola remains his best legacy as a politician as he identified his potential and supported his emergence as governor.
“My best legacy is the financial engineering of Lagos State, especially to bring financial autonomy to Lagos State and eliminate wastage and mismanagement. That was just one aspect of it. My greatest legacy is Governor Babatunde Fashola. I identified and endorsed him. That was when my corporate background as a recruiter and talent seeker for Deloitte came to play. Part of the training when you go on operational audit is that the first thing you evaluate are the personnel and the questionnaire given to them and how they answer it. You look at the ability of individuals to really take and develop others.
READ ALSO: Buhari attributes APC’s success to Tinubu
“There is nothing unique about any leadership. Everybody can come up with different ideas. You can take different routes and arrive at the same answer. No matter how much steel and metal you put together, the greatest achievement and legacy is the ability to develop other leaders who can succeed you, otherwise your legacy will be in shambles. It was a very difficult and challenging period for me. I thank God I stuck to my guns.”
Tinubu celebrated his 64th birthday on Tuesday, March 29 which was attended by President Muhammadu Buhari, vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, governors, ministers and members of the National Assembly members
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