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How I’ll improve security, fight corruption boost economy – Tinubu

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How I'll improve security, fight corruption boost economy – Tinubu

 

By Funmilayo Olusanya

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), made a pledge yesterday that if he wins the election next year, he would lead a progressive administration that would improve security, combat corruption, and restructure the economy.

Tinubu’s Opaque Academic Records Dominate Public Discourse

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

He claimed that putting the ruling party’s progressive goals into practice will boost national cohesion, assure prosperity, and give Nigerians a sense of purpose.

President Muhammadu Buhari’s accomplishments were praised by Tinubu, who also pledged to build on the administration’s legacy in all areas.

The standard bearer gave a speech at the retreat for ministers and permanent secretaries in Abuja on the topic themed: “Enhance Security, Fight Corruption, Transform Economy.”

President Buhari advised ministers not to leave their positions to run for office in the run-up to the 2023 elections during the retreat.

President Buihari’s policies, programs, and accomplishments during the past seven and a half years, according to Tinubu, have been characterized by the APC’s goals.

If elected, he promised to offer Nigerians the best in progressive administration with an emphasis on their economic well-being.

Read Also >> ATTACK: Call Political Parties, Supporters To Order, Atiku Urges Buhari

Tinubu said: “Mr President and other members of the administration, may I state the following: if elected, I will give due honour to your efforts and your legacy. I will work in the spirit of cordial unity, and national purpose that informed the creation of our party and characterized the work of your government.

“Most importantly, the way and means of a Tinubu government will be devoted to further project and prosper the Nigerian people because our guiding principle will be to provide the best of progressive governance and reform our beloved land.

“Consider these three promises to be a positive outgrowth of your nine-point agenda.”

Despite the difficulties the country and the world were facing, according to Tinubu, the Buhari administration stood strong, constructing infrastructure, delivering the country from insecurity, passing and enacting the Petroleum Industry Act, instituting electoral reforms, and making Nigerians happy.

He added: “His labour and achievements may go unappreciated for a moment. However, that unfair moment cannot last. In due course, the full extent of his contributions will become known and understood.

“Any objective assessment of your time in office and the national contributions you all have made will be a positive and grateful one.

Read Also >> Tinubu Too Tired, Sick To Be Nigeria’s President – Atiku

“This administration inherited a national condition steeped in difficulty unlike any other. Predecessor governments ignored or lacked the will to tackle serious problems ranging from insecurity to corruption.

“As if that was not enough, you confronted a series of events, unprecedented in the compound severity, complexity and novelty they posed. COVID attacked both global health and the global economy. Throughout most of your tenure, oil prices waned and ebbed and, consequently, so did our revenues.

“The Ukrainian crisis and other conflicts, coupled with severe weather events in many nations further disrupted economic production and undermined international supply chains of critical items, especially food.

You did more than persevere and withstand these adverse storms. Despite it all, you made historic progress.

“Upon entering office, you faced a situation where deadly terrorists were planting flags on our national territory, proclaiming an illegal state within our legitimate state.

“Because of your collective work, they no longer plant flags. Their boasts of conquest are no longer heard. You put us on the road to defeating this menace. By the grace of God Himself, we shall persist until terrorists and those like them are utterly removed from the face of our nation.

“The progress you made in increasing farm productivity while improving the conditions of the average farmer was an important policy intervention, helping the nation overcome the global supply chain disruptions that threatened our food security.

“Despite financial headwinds, you embarked on an unparalleled expansion of the national infrastructure.

“Work in the power sector is showing dividends amidst increased investor confidence in that area.

“The Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) stands as landmark legislation opening new vistas in the oil and gas sector.

“And faithful implementation of the electoral law you passed will further enshrine our democratic way of life through the guarantee of free and fair elections.”

When elected, Tinubu said he would be fortunate to succeed in an administration that had done a tremendous job, promising to build on the long-lasting and enduring legacy.

He said: “Rest assured that when the history of the Buhari era is correctly written, the verdict will be that you established a resilient, yet deeply anchored foundation while also assembling the building blocks for a durable future of broadly-shared prosperity, peace, diverse growth, security and hope.

“Because of this, I am honoured to have been given the baton to follow President Buhari as the standard bearer of our party and, hopefully, as the next president of our federal republic”.

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Nigeria’s Debt Service Ratio Falls To 65% As Tinubu Tackles Economic Woes

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In an effort to reduce Nigeria’s debt burden and stabilize the economy, President Bola Tinubu announced on Monday that the country’s debt service-to-revenue ratio has fallen from 97 to 65 percent over the 17 months since he took office.

Speaking at the swearing-in ceremony for seven new ministers at the State House, Abuja, Tinubu emphasized the government’s progress in stabilizing the economy despite challenging conditions.

READ MORE: Ibadan Man On Why He Used 76 Women For Ritual, Ate Others

“For us, it was a challenge when the nation was servicing its debt with 97 percent of its revenue. It was nothing but the edge of the cliff,” Tinubu said.

“But today, I can report to you that we have brought that down to 65 percent, and we have never defaulted in meeting all obligations, both foreign and domestic.”

His remarks follow Afreximbank’s recent projection that Nigeria’s debt service-to-revenue ratio could reach 110.4 percent by 2024.

Afreximbank’s 2024 Nigeria Country Brief warned of a troubling upward trend in debt servicing, which could see the ratio surge from 33.8 percent in 2017 to a projected 110.4 percent next year.

However, with continued reforms, the report suggested the ratio might decline to 62.6 percent by 2025.

In the first nine months of 2023, debt servicing consumed 66.9 percent (₦5.79 trillion) of Nigeria’s total revenue, a slight improvement from 99.3 percent (₦4.23 trillion) during the same period in 2022.

Tinubu, while optimistic about economic recovery, acknowledged the ongoing struggles faced by Nigerians due to a sharp increase in the cost of living triggered by recent economic reforms.

“We have taken the bull by the horns,” the President asserted. “We have stopped the scavengers. We will fully put an end to the profiteers and smugglers of our resources across the country. We are not shirking our responsibility; we are confronting it head-on.”

He further expressed confidence that Nigeria was on a “good path” toward recovery, emphasizing that the government remains committed to re-engineering the economy.

He cited the introduction of a new minimum wage as one measure aimed at mitigating rising living costs.

Monday’s ceremony also saw the swearing-in of seven new ministers, part of a recent cabinet reshuffle.

In two batches, ministers including Idi Maiha (Livestock Development) and Dr Jumoke Oduwole (Industry, Trade, and Investment) took their oaths.

The reshuffle, which saw 10 ministers reassigned, five discharged, and seven new appointments confirmed by the Senate, reflects Tinubu’s stated commitment to reshaping his cabinet to meet Nigeria’s evolving challenges.

As the administration continues to implement reforms, President Tinubu emphasized a long-term vision for economic sustainability, not only for the current generation but also for future ones.

“Despite the challenges, we must undertake the job of re-engineering and retooling this country’s economic path,” he said.

 

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Edo Deputy Gov, Omobayo Ordered To Court Over Refusal To Vacate Office

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A Federal High Court in Abuja has mandated that Godwins Omobayo, the Deputy Governor of Edo State, appear in person on November 26, 2024, following allegations of contempt of court stemming from his failure to comply with a previous ruling.

Justice James Omotosho issued the order on Monday, asserting that Omobayo, described as the alleged contemnor, must be afforded a fair hearing in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

READ MORE: Bobrisky Flees Nigeria Amid Legal Turmoil

The court action was initiated by Philip Shaibu, who was reinstated as Deputy Governor after the court invalidated his impeachment by the Edo State House of Assembly on July 17.

Justice Omotosho ruled that the impeachment proceedings lacked due process and that the grounds for Shaibu’s removal did not constitute gross misconduct.

Shaibu’s suit targets several parties, including the Inspector-General of Police and the Edo State House of Assembly, seeking enforcement of the court’s judgment and demanding that Omobayo vacate the deputy governorship position.

Omobayo assumed office on April 8, following Shaibu’s impeachment.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that Omobayo was served legal documents but failed to appear.

In response, Shaibu’s attorney, Ayotunde Ogunleye, SAN, urged the court to compel Omobayo’s attendance, citing the need to uphold judicial authority.

In delivering his ruling, Justice Omotosho adjourned the case until November 26 for further proceedings.

He directed that hearing notices be served to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th defendants involved in the charge.

“In the interest of justice and to provide the alleged contemnor with an opportunity to defend himself and receive a fair hearing, in accordance with Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), I hereby order that the alleged contemnor appear in court in person on November 26, 2024,” the judge stated.

It is noteworthy that the current tenure of the state government is set to conclude on November 12.

 

 

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Presidency Fires Back At Atiku

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On the heels of the salvo fired by the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Nigeria’s 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, signalling what might be a long-drawn hot exchange of words, the Presidency has made what it called ‘our initial response to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’.

This was contained in a statement put out on micro-blogging site, X, Sunday by the Special Adviser to the President (Information and Strategy), Bayo Onanuga.

The former vice president had detailed the shortcomings of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration, making efforts to detail what he would have done differently, that would have better results for Nigeria.

In a swift response, the Presidency countered that Atiku and his ideas “were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll”, based on his antecedents.

The statement reads, “OUR INITIAL RESPONSE TO ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR

“We have just read a statement credited to former vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in which he tried to discredit  President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform programmes while pushing his untested agenda as a better alternative.

“First, Alhaji Atiku’s ideas, which lacked details,  were rejected by Nigerians in the 2023 poll.

“If he had won the election, we believe he would have plunged Nigeria into a worse situation or run a regime of cronyism.

“Abubakar lost the election partly because he vowed to sell the NNPC and other assets to his friends.  Nigerians have not forgotten this, nor would they be comforted by Atiku’s antecedents when he ran the economy in the first term of President Olusegun Obasanjo’s government between 1999 and 2003.

“As vice president, Atiku supervised a questionable privatisation programme. He and his boss demonstrated a lack of faith in our educational system, and both went to establish their universities while they allowed ours to flounder.

“Talk is cheap. It is easy to pontificate and deride a rival’s programmes even when there are irrefutable indices that the economic reforms yield positives despite the temporary difficulties.

“Despite the futile attempt to hoodwink Nigerians again in his statement, it is gratifying that the former Vice President could not repudiate the economic reforms pursued by the Tinubu administration because they are the right things to do.

“His advocacy for a gradualist approach only showed that he was not in tune with the enormity of problems inherited by President Tinubu.

“It is so easy to paint a flowery to-do list. It is expected of an election loser.

“President Tinubu met a country facing several grave challenges. Fuel subsidies were siphoning away enormous resources we could ill afford, and there was criminal arbitrage in the forex market.

“No leader worth his name will allow these two economic disorders to persist without moving to end them surgically.

“While advocating for gradual reforms may sound appealing, Tinubu took measures that should have been taken decades ago by Alhaji Abubakar and his boss when they had the opportunity.

“Alhaji Abubakar calls for empathy and a human face to reforms. We have no problem with this as it resonates well with our administration’s focus. President Tinubu has consistently emphasised the need for compassion and protection of the most vulnerable.

“The administration has prioritised social safety nets and targeted support for those affected by recent economic transitions.”

 

 

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