Tinubu preaches hope, says better days are ahead @64th independence broadcast

Tinubu during his public address on the 64th anniversary of Nigeria said that he understands the current plight faced by Nigerians and the economic hardship prevalent in the country.

He noted that the cries and voices of the people in their current strife has been heard and his administration is committed to creating sustainable solutions to alleviate the suffering Nigerians.

According to him, this 64th anniversary is a time to reflect on how far we have come and improved as a country since our founding fathers fought for democracy and initiated a dream that would years later transcend into being a beacon in Africa and the world and large.

Nigerians were also urged to exercise patience with the current Government and not to entirely focus on their shortcomings but should also put into perspective the steps made by the government to ensure that the Nation remains the Giant of Africa tasked with the responsibility of leading the rest of Africa out of Poverty, ignorance and backwardness into a new age of excellence.

In light of this, the president said his administration is winning the war on terrorism and banditry. He said the target is to eliminate all the threats of Boko Haram, banditry, kidnapping for ransom, and the scourge of all forms of violent extremism. Within one year, our government has eliminated Boko Haram and bandit commanders faster than ever. Records emanating suggests that over 300 Boko Haram and bandit commanders in the Northeast and other parts of the Nation have been eliminated by gallant troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces. The efforts of the Armed Forces through Presidential directives has ensured that sacked communities in the Northeast have been restored.

With the surge in flooding, Tinubu assured that the  government will always be in solidarity with citizens in their hard times. To further give assurance, he noted that at the last meeting of the Federal Executive Council, the FG approved a Disaster Relief Fund to mobilise private and public sector funds to help facilitate a faster response to emergencies.

Our government has also ordered integrity tests of all our dams in the country to avert future disasters.

On the economic front biting hard , he explicitly said that policies are already in motion to reduce the high cost of living in the Nation. In his words, he expressed that If we do not correct the fiscal misalignments that led to the current economic downturn, our country will face an uncertain future and the peril of unimaginable consequences. These policies resulted in reforms that attracted foreign direct investments worth more than $30 billion in the last year.

He expressed that his administration is committed to free enterprise, free entry, and free exit in investments while maintaining the sanctity and efficacy of our regulatory processes. This principle guides the divestment transactions in our upstream petroleum sector, where we are committed to changing the fortune positively. As such, the ExxonMobil Seplat divestment will receive ministerial approval in a matter of days, having been concluded by the regulator, NUPRC, in line with the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA.

Another policy is Central Bank’s monetary policy management that has ensured stability and predictability in our foreign exchange market. The President said that he inherited a reserve of over $33 billion 16 months ago, but has seen his administration pay back the inherited forex backlog of $7 billion. We have cleared the ways and means debt of over N30 trillion. We have reduced the debt service ratio from 97 per cent to 68 per cent. Despite all these, we have managed to keep our foreign reserve at $37 billion. We continue to meet all our obligations and pay our bills.

Governors who adopted means to alleviate poverty in their states through embracing and implementing agricultural production programme were commended. Those commended include  Kebbi, Niger, Jigawa, Kwara, Nasarawa, and the Southwest Governors.

He urged other states to also follow this trajectory as it will help curb poverty and ease the sufferings of the people by promoting mechanised farming.

In his address, he said the Govt is playing its part by supplying fertilizer and making tractors and other farm equipment available. Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved establishing a local assembly plant for 2000 John Deere tractors, combine harvesters, disc riders, bottom ploughs and other farm equipment. The plant has a completion time of six months. He asks for assistance as collaborative effort with ensure better productivity.

Youth centered programmes are also in motion to give youths an advantage in the rapidly changing world. We are implementing, amongst others, the 3 million Technical Talents programme (3MTT) of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, aimed at building Nigeria’s technical talent backbone.

We have also enthusiastically implemented the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), which provides cheap loans to our students to pursue their tertiary educational dreams. Later this month, we shall launch The Renewed Hope Labour Employment and Empowerment Programme (LEEP). This has been made possible through interventions by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment with a mission poised at facilitating creating 2.5 million jobs, directly and indirectly, on an annual incremental basis whilst simultaneously ensuring the welfare and safety of workers across the country.

Those who performed excellently and are worthy of National honours will be announced.

The Senate President and the Chief Justice of the Federation have been conferred with the honour of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON). The deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives have the honour of Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (CFR), while the deputy speaker of the House has been awarded Commander of the Order of Niger (CON) .

Finally, Tinubu urged all to be role players in the affairs of the Nation as only through collaborative efforts will Nigeria reach greater heights.