Gentlemen of the Press,
It is my honour and privilege to welcome you all here to once again address you on some pertinent issues bothering on governance of our country Nigeria, and the ongoing protest by some Nigerians. Let me first thank you all in a very special way for honouring this invitation, and for always rising to the occasion to defend democratic institutions in Nigeria, as members of the fourth estate of the realm. Thank you for coming!
It behooves on us as servants of the people to explain government direction with regard to issues concerning governance of our dear nation, Nigeria. Let me specially appreciate ndi Anambra for their patience and understanding with Mr President, and as well urge them to continue with this support to the Federal government.
It is worthy of note that the calm disposition of ndi Anambra, on this matter, and not hitting the streets to protest, is not in any way a mark of weakness, but a patriotic understanding of the current Nigerian situation. As the Light of the Nation, ndi Anambra do not follow bandwagon, rather they have continued to show that light to the rest of Nigeria. This attitude has once again showcased our people’s resilience and total commitment to the unity and growth of the country.
I wish to sincerely thank the Nigeria Police in Anambra State under the capable leadership of CP Obono Nnaghe Itam, and other security agencies for their professional conduct, so far. I enjoin them to maintain the tempo of peace and stability that they have achieved, while expressing the hope of a more prosperous Nigeria, for the benefit of all.
I therefore appeal to ndi Anambra, and Nigerians to remain calm and give peace a chance. We as a people stand to gain so much through constructive dialogue, than hitting the streets to protest. It is pertinent I reiterate that peaceful protest remain a constitutional and legitimate means of expressing displeasure towards government and associated developments and events. This notwithstanding, we should not be oblivious of the fact that some unscrupulous elements are on hand to hijack such legitimate exercise, which will certainly distort the peace of our dear state.
Recalling our experiences from previous peaceful protests, which were later hijacked by miscreants, the 2020 EndSARS protest comes to mind as the most recent of such experience, and the country is yet to recover from the effect of the uprising. This is not to forget such others like the Alli-must-go and Anti-SAP protests of 1978 and 1989 respectively, which started as peaceful protests and later snowballed into violent riots. I enjoin all concerned to be cautious and patriotic in reasoning and conduct, so as not to expose our communities to threats and invasion by miscreants masquerading as protesters. The security situation may not be too favourable to guarantee a peaceful conduct of this protest, hence my appeal for calm.
In the light of the above, we shall, as a political party address you on a number of issues regarding Federal government policies vis a vis the state of the economy and its implications on the citizens. Recall that His Excellency President Bola Tinubu, on assumption of office took some bold, courageous and difficult steps aimed at repositioning and building a virile Nigerian economy. These include the removal of fuel subsidy regime which has eaten deep into the coffers of the nation. This policy was initiated in the best interest of the Nigerian people. The removal of fuel subsidy also saw states and local government’s getting in triple their monthly allocations from FAAC. Others include massive infrastructure, like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, a 700km highway connecting Lagos to Cross River state, through eight states; the Sokoto-Badagry Superhighway, a 1000km highway passing through seven states; and then the Calabar-South East-North Central-Apo Abuja 477km Superhighway; the Renewed Hope Housing projects across the country; among other very basic projects; simultaneously going on in different parts of Nigeria.
Mr President has in the last one year recorded tremendous success in the different spheres of the economy which are geared towards improving the lots of Nigerians. The speedy negotiation, passage and signing into law of the new minimum wage which saw a 133% rise from what obtained earlier; the implementation of the Students’ Educational Loan Programme by NELFUND, which has disbursed the sum of One billion, and seventeen million naira to over 20,000 students of tertiary institutions; and the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicle conversion programme, are testaments of Mr President’s untiring resolve to keep the country on a strong pedestal.
President Tinubu also announced a 150-day duty-free importation window for essential foods; as well as the injection of 2 Trillion naira into the economy which is to be spent over a six month period for rapid stabilization. The signing of the South East Development Commission is a pointer to Mr President’s avowed commitment towards the development of the South East region of Nigeria.
In the agricultural sector, the President has created the Ministry of Livestock Development to address the persistent farmer-herder conflicts in Nigeria, which has adversely affected farming yield and as well led to incessant killings in the country. The removal of import taxes on pharmaceutical and food products; the First Lady’s Renewed Hope Initiative, Women Agricultural Support Programme (RHI-WASP); the massive distribution of foodstuffs and financial aids to the vulnerable across all states of the federation, across party lines; as well as other heavy investments aimed at guaranteeing sustainable food security in Nigeria are no mean feats by the President, and should be given maximum support to harness the gains of these policies of government.
The oil sector of the Nigerian economy under President Tinubu has continued to record tremendous successes in just one year in office. The commencement of production of refined petroleum from both the Dangote and Port Harcourt refineries will undoubtedly turn around and rescue the country from her economic woes. The most recent approval of the President for the NNPC to sell crude oil to Dangote, and other local refineries in our local currency, the naira, is a step in the right direction. Also the increase in the country’s crude oil production capacity, from 800,000 to 1,600,000 barrels per day (bpd) are eloquent testaments of President Tinubu’s positive policies and steps, and a pointer towards a brighter future for Nigerians.
The recent Supreme Court judgment affirming Local Government autonomy is another giant stride of the Bola Tinubu administration which is a manifestation of Mr President’s sincere and genuine interest towards the full restructuring of the Nigerian Federation.
We commend Mr President’s intrepid disposition towards confronting such monsters that threaten the growth and development of the country. This affirmation of autonomy by the Supreme Court, rescued the Local Government from perpetual strangulation in Nigeria. This verdict will stimulate the Local Government system, as the third tier of government, and as well engender rural development.
The President has also initiated and is progressively prosecuting the review of the privatization policy of previous administrations, particularly in the Energy sector. There is obviously a renewed impetus in the anti-corruption war, as well as the fight against banditry, insurgency, and all acts of terrorism in Nigeria.
Gentlemen and ladies, having highlighted a few of President Tinubu’s programme and achievements, I implore ndi Anambra to sustain the hands of fellowship already extended to Mr President. I also beckon on all Nigerians to collaborate with the federal government under President Bola Tinubu, for an enduring success and yield from these policies.
I commend the resilience and patience exhibited by Nigerians over the years. Be assured that Mr President is not resting on his oars until he has made life more fair and meaningful to the good people of Nigeria.
He bravely took the longer and more sustaining route to revitalizing the Nigerian economy, rather than doing unsustainable short-term measures which will definitely rock the boat of the country in no distant time.
I enjoin us to tarry a while, and give our president the needed support to succeed. It is our collective responsibility to make Nigeria work. Therefore, we cannot allow ourselves to create situations whereby the infrastructures we have and are building are destroyed in the guise of protest. Let us all, together, build a more prosperous Nigeria for the good of all.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
God bless Anambra State!!
God bless APC!!!
Thank you all.
Chief Sir Basil Ejidike
(Ikwelle Nnabuenyi)
APC State Chairman, Anambra State.