…WARNS AGAINST TRIBALISM, ETHNICITY
President Bola Tinubu on Sunday addressed the nation on the ongoing protests against economic hardship in the country, urging the youths to call off the protests and embrace dialogue.
The President also warned those who have taken advantage of the protests to threaten people from certain areas of the country to desist immediately from fanning the embers of ethnicity or face the wrath of the law.
The President said that he understands the reasons for the ongoing protests and assured that his government is committed to listening and addressing the
issues in focus.
He urged the youths and leaders of the protests to join the concerted efforts to build a strong nation where people can live with dignity and prosperity.
He appealed to the youths to ensure that violence and destruction are not allowed to tear the country apart.
Tinubu expressed sadness over the lost of lives, destruction of public facilities, the looting of private business in parts of the country noting that such acts are a setback to the development of the country.
He mourned the dead in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and other states and commiserated with the families of those who got killed while protesting.
He said, “I speak to you today with a heavy heart and a sense of responsibility, aware of the turmoil and violent protests unleashed in some of our states.
“Notably among the protesters were young Nigerians who desired a better and more progressive country where their dreams, hopes, and personal aspirations would be fulfilled.
“I am especially pained by the loss of lives in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and other states, the destruction of public facilities in some states, and the wanton looting of supermarkets and shops, contrary to the promise of protest organisers that the protest would be peaceful across the country. The destruction of properties sets us back as a nation, as scarce resources willbe again used to restore them.
“I commiserate with the families and relations of those who have died in the protests. We must stop further bloodshed, violence and destruction.
“As President of this country, I must ensure public order. In line with my constitutional oath to protect the lives and property of every citizen, our government will not stand idly by and allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear this nation apart.
“Under the circumstances, I hereby enjoin protesters and the organisers to suspend any further protest and create room for dialogue, which I have always acceded to at the slightest opportunity. Nigeria requires all hands on deck and needs us all – regardless of age, party, tribe, religion or other divides, to work together in reshaping our destiny as a nation. To those who have taken undue advantage of this situation to threaten any section of this country, be warned: The law will catch up with you. There is no place for ethnic bigotry or such threats in the Nigeria we seek to build.”
The President also urged the youths to stand up in defend on democracy and not allow people with anti democratic motives to truncate democratic governance in the country in an obvious reference to the reckless call for military intervention in governance,
He stressed that the economy was on the path of recovery and shouldn’t be shut down.
“Let us work together to build a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come. Let us choose hope over fear, unity over division, and progress over stagnation. The economy is recovering; Please, don’t shut out its oxygen. Now that we have been enjoying democratic governance for 25 years, do not let the enemies of democracy use you to promote an unconstitutional agenda that will set us back on our democratic journey. FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER!” He added
Tinubu also urged the security agencies to continue to ensure the protection of the lives and properties of Nigerians in a responsible manner.
The President reassured that his vision for the country is that “of a just and prosperous nation where each person may enjoy the peace, freedom, and meaningful livelihood that only democratic good governance can provide – one that is open, transparent and accountable to the Nigerian people.”
The President who also spoke on the burning issue of the removal of the fuel subsidy did not give any indication of an intention to reverse the policy. He highlighted the adverse effects of the subsidy on the nation,s economy and the gains of its removal.
“For decades, our economy has remained anaemicand taken a dip because of many misalignments that have stunted our growth. Just over a year ago, our dear country, Nigeria, reached a point where we couldn’t afford to continue the use oftemporary solutions to solve long-term problems for the sake of now and our unborn generations. I therefore took the painful yet necessary decision to remove fuel subsidies and abolish multiple foreign exchange systems which had constituted a noose around the economic jugular of our Nation and impeded our economic development and progress.
“These actions blocked the greed and the profits that smugglers and rent-seekers made. They also blocked the undue subsidies we had extended to our neighbouring countries to the detriment of our people, rendering our economy prostrate. These decisions I made were necessary if we must reverse the decades of economic mismanagement that didn’t serve us well. Yes, I agree, the buck stops on my table. But I can assure you that I am focused fully on delivering the governance to the people – good governance for that matter.
“In the past 14 months, our government has made significant strides in rebuilding the foundation of our economy to carry us into a future of plenty and abundance. On the fiscal side, aggregate government revenues have more than doubled, hitting over 9.1 trillion Naira in the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023 due to our efforts at blocking leakages, introducing automation, and mobilising funding creatively without additional burden on the people. Productivity is gradually increasing in the non-oil sector, reaching new levels and taking advantage of the opportunities in the current economic ambience
“My dear brothers and sisters, we have come this far. Coming from a place where our country spent 97% of all our revenue on debt service; we have been able to reduce that to 68% in the last 13 months. We have also cleared legitimate outstanding foreign exchange obligations of about $5billion without any adverse impact on our programmes.
“This has given us more financial freedom and the room to spend more money on you, our citizens, to fund essential social services like education and healthcare. It has also led to our State, and Local Governments receiving the highest allocations ever in our country’s history from the Federation Account.”
