BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has disclosed that the removal of fuel subsidy by his administration saved the country from imminent bankruptcy and laid the foundation for the gradual recovery of the nation’s economy.
He spoke on Friday when he hosted state governors who came to celebrate with him, the Sallah and the third anniversary of the administration.
In attendance were the Governors of Lagos, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Sokoto, Kebbi, Taraba, Niger, Ekiti, Delta, Ondo, Edo, Adamawa, Benue, Enugu, Ogun, and Kogi States, as well as the deputy governors of Borno and Kano.
President Tinubu acknowledged that the decision to remove the subsidy and restore economic stability.
"It was challenging at the time, but we survived. We face litigation and accusations. We survived them. Instead of bankruptcy, Nigeria has survived. The economy has recovered. It is growing. Agriculture is booming.
"Today I was watching some clips of the Sokoto -Badagry axis. Imagine how many dams on that corridor for irrigation, for farm land, for electricity. Well, many of you have survived and promoted the perseverance of many of our people, asking them to trust this government, and you have built that trust around one person: my leadership. I thank you very much," the President said.
Tinubu also thanked Nigerians for their patience, resilience and understanding, assuring them that the difficult phase was gradually yielding positive outcomes.
The President said that ongoing reforms in infrastructure, agriculture, social investment, foreign exchange management and fiscal discipline were beginning to restore investor confidence and improve economic prospects.
He commended the governors for their cooperation, support and commitment to national development, noting that the partnership between the federal and state governments played a vital role in stabilising the economy.
"I'm glad governors are no longer borrowing from the Federal Government and asking for interventions and not knowing how to survive, how to pay salaries, no more. You kept the spirit, you kept the hope. You persuaded our people to be patient and endure these three years of painful reform, during which we put the economy on a reset. Today, the benefits are showing.
"The economy has recovered. Macroeconomic indices are doing very well. Construction is ongoing on roads and infrastructure; the ones abandoned have been rehabilitated.
"The housing industry is coming on very well. Agriculture will prosper again. We will achieve food sovereignty if we utilise the land that is in your possession and in your various states effectively,’’ he said.
The President assured Nigerians that his administration would continue to implement people-oriented policies aimed at reducing hardship, creating jobs, strengthening food security and ensuring inclusive economic growth.
Vice President Kashim Shettima commended the President's doggedness, tenacity and courage in confronting corruption in Nigeria's oil industry in the name of the fuel subsidy.
"Your Excellency, Mr President, this is the essence of your leadership. You did not come to power in the season of ease. You came at a time when the house required more than a canter. It required a builder with the courage to examine the foundation you inherited.
"In that defining hour, you choose not to postpone the surgery. You choose not to massage the wound. You choose to confront the contradictions that have held this country hostage for 50 years; that is the miracle of your courage."
This was contained in a statement by Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga in Abuja.
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