Tinubu asks NEC to work on subsidy palliatives
Tinubu asks NEC to work on subsidy palliatives
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday gave marching orders to the National Economic Council (NEC) to immediately work out palliatives to mitigate the effects of petrol subsidy removal.
He met for the first time with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) members.
The governors, who President Tinubu mandated to end poverty in their states, restated their backing for subsidy removal.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun told reporters that the President hinted at the instruction to NEC during the meeting with the governors.
A statement by the Director of Information at the State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, quoted the President as saying: “We can see the effects of poverty on the faces of our people.
“Poverty is not hereditary, it is from the society. Our position is to eliminate poverty.
“Set aside partisan politics. We are here to deliberate about Nigeria and nation-building. We are a family occupying one house, and sleeping in different rooms.
“If we see it that way and push forward, we will get our people out of poverty. A determined mind is a fertile ground for delivering results.”
The President said good governance would safeguard the future of democracy.
“Present in this room is our diversity in culture and politics, but we are one nation. The unity and stability of the country rest upon us.
“We are in a democracy and we have to nurture the democracy. It is a hard-earned system and not easy to manage.
“If anyone thinks it is easy, look at other nations who are over a hundred years in democracy.
“We have managed ourselves very well to have a democracy. We have campaigned and arrived at our present destination. We must work for our people,” President Tinubu told the governors while assuring them that he would maintain an open-door policy.
The President said he was prepared to share ideas, strengthen institutions, and create bottom-up frameworks that will improve the livelihood of Nigerians.
“What do we do in the face of crushing poverty? What do we do with our development goals? We took the bull by the horns by removing the elephant in the room before the nation sinks.
“We need synergy to fight other vices like corruption. We are trying to get smugglers out of the way.
“How do we work together to gagalvanizehe economy, and put resources in place? We must think and perform.
“After removing subsidy, there must be savings accruing to the Federation Account,” he said.
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President Tinubu said the education sector must be improved as part of efforts to reduce poverty and penury.
He added: “How do we address the unacceptable level of poverty? How much are we investing in education, which is the only tool against poverty? I am ready to collaborate with you.”
The governors, led by its chairman, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara State, expressed happiness with the President’s subsidy-removal decision, all-inclusive leadership, and statesmanship.
“The NGF will follow the tradition of working constitutionally and harmoniously with you,’’ he said.
At the meeting were governors Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Abba Yusuf (Kano), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi) and Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos).
Others are Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Rev. Ft. Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Sheriff Oborevwori (Delta), Peter Mbah (Enugu), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau), Nasiru Idris (Kebbi), Alex Otti (Abia), Hope Uzodinma (Imo), and Bala Mohammed (Bauchi).
The deputy governors of Edo, Philip Shaibu and of Niger, Yakubu Garba, represented their states.