Former Head of State, Gen Yakubu Gowon, has urged Nigerians to pray for the Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government instead of condemning the leader.
He said the government could not solve the problems of the country or get Nigeria out of recession overnight.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja ahead of Nigeria Prays 20th anniversary, Gowon advised Nigerians to be patient as the government seeks to deal with the problem of recession.
He said: “We pray for better solutions to the problem, we pray that the government will be looking at ways and means to deal with this problem of recession, which I know they are doing and they are cracking their heads.
“Nigerians are bombarding them with various suggestions on how this can be resolved. Usually, in any government, when you have problems like that, you depend on a number of your advisers who are experts in this field, both within the government and also from outside the government, in order to deal with that particular problem.
“It is not easy. I can tell you from personal experience, these things are not achieved overnight and a lot of Nigerians expect it to be solved within a day or two.
“I know every effort is being done to deal with this particular problem, and so let us give the federal government that time to make sure we keep reminding them that there is problem and they have to do whatever they can to solve it. And let us cooperate by helping to ensure that government hears the concerns and does something about it.”
Earlier in August, he described prayer as a formidable weapon that can solve the nation’s many challenges better and faster.