On Wednesday, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu held his first meeting with the 36 governors of the country’s 36 states. He asked them to work together to end the country’s extreme poverty. Following the removal of the petroleum subsidy about ten days ago, the meeting was held under the direction of the National Economic Council, or NEC.
He said that the level of poverty in the country was unacceptable and that the governors needed to work with the federal government to tackle the problem of poverty.
This occurred at the same time that the president issued a directive to the National Economic Council (NEC), which was led by Kashim Shettima, the vice president, to begin formulating measures to mitigate the effects of citizens losing their fuel subsidies.
The 36 state governors who attended the meeting with the president expressed strong support for his decision to end fuel subsidy payments in the country and for other early policy initiatives of the administration, according to a statement issued by Mr. Abiodun Oladunjoye, State House Director of Information.
The president encouraged the political pioneers to make light of their disparities and mutually center around easing the sufferings and agonies of individuals.
“We can see the impacts of destitution on the essences of our kin. It is not genetic to be poor; It originates from society. Our strategy is to end poverty. He stated, “Set aside partisan politics; we are here to discuss Nigeria and nation-building.”
Tinubu stated that the country ought to be viewed as a single, large family.
He claimed that: We are a family who live in a single house and sleep in various rooms. We can lift our people out of poverty if we view it that way and keep moving forward. A decided psyche is a prolific ground for following through on results”.
The president stated that democracy’s future would be safeguarded by good governance.
Our political and cultural diversity can be seen in this room, but we are one nation. We are responsible for the country’s stability and unity.
We are living in a democracy, and we must preserve it. It’s a system that took a long time to build and is hard to manage. Look at other nations that have had democracy for more than a century if you think it’s easy.
“We have overseen ourselves to have a majority rules government. We have fought and arrived at where we are now. We should work for our kin,” Tinubu told the lead representatives, while guaranteeing them that he would keep an entryway strategy.
The president stated that he would be willing to exchange ideas, strengthen institutions, and develop bottom-up frameworks that will enhance Nigerians’ standard of living.
“In the face of crushing poverty, what do we do? What do we do with our objectives for growth? Before the nation sinks, we removed the elephant in the room and took the situation by the horns.
To combat other vices like corruption, we require cooperation. We are attempting to clear the way for smugglers. How can we collaborate to energize the economy and establish resources? We must act as well as think.
“Subsequent to eliminating sponsorship, there should be reserve funds accumulating to the Alliance Record,” he noted.
Tinubu stated, “How do we address the unacceptable level of poverty? “, that the education sector must be improved as part of efforts to reduce poverty. How much would we say we are putting resources into training, which is the main device against neediness? I am prepared to work with you.
In addition, he brought to the governors’ attention the issue of security in some states and advised them to make every effort to address the security situation, not only for those who are facing it.
When the President hosted members of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF), led by Kwara State’s AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, at the State House, the governors took turns speaking. They praised the president’s all-encompassing leadership and statesmanship, as well as his decision to remove subsidies.
They promised to work with Tinubu to lessen the short-term impact of the decision and praised him for confronting the fuel subsidy colossus.
NGF Executive, AbdulRasaq, said thanks to the president for the encouragement to consider on the difficulties of neediness and security, promising that the lead representatives would uphold the national government in gathering the objectives of human turn of events.
He stated, “The NGF will follow the tradition of working harmoniously and constitutionally with you.”
The governors offered suggestions and assured the President of their support for the President’s proposal of solutions through the National Economic Council, highlighting the plight of citizens in their states.
22 governors and two deputy governors from Edo and Niger States attended the meeting, which was attended by Shettima and George Akume, the new Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Governors Dauda Lawal (Zamfara), Abba Yusuf (Kano), Agbu Kefas (Taraba), Yahaya Bello (Kogi), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Douye Diri (Bayelsa), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Babajide Sanwo-O Sheriff Oborevwori from Delta, Hyacinth Alia from Benue, Seyi Makinde from Oyo, Caleb Mutfwang from Plateau, Nasiru Idris from Kebbi, Alex Otti from Abia, Hope Uzodinma from Imo, and Bala Mohammed from Bauchi
At the meeting, Edo’s Philip Shaibu and Niger’s Yakubu Garba represented their respective states.
Governors of Dikko Radda in Katsina, Uba Sani in Kaduna, Inuwa Yahaya in Genoa, Prof. Babagana Zulum in Borno, Bassey Otu in Cross River, Umo Eno in Akwa Ibom, Prof. Charles Soludo in Anambra, Biodun Oyebanji in Ekiti, Rotimi Akeredolu in Ondo, Mai Mala
In a related development, Governor Abiodun revealed the directive to NEC to journalists on Wednesday, following a courtesy visit to the President by senior members of the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN).
He said that the president has asked the NEC, which is led by the vice president, to get to work and come up with the necessary solutions to ease the burden of eliminating the petroleum subsidy.
He said that Tinubu’s action showed that he was determined and brave to stop the country’s bleeding for decades.
The lead representative expressed while there would be some inconvenience with respect to individuals, the move would ultimately pay off as there can be no additions without torments.
Remarking on the issue of government’s intercessions to facilitate the difficulty gushing from the evacuation of fuel sponsorship, Abiodun said Tinubu taught an organized methodology between government, through the NEC and the financial group, and oil advertisers to structure out a healthy mediation.
His words: ” The committee of the NEC, along with the economic team and marketers, should sit down and come up with a healthy approach that will be beneficial to the common man and the majority of Nigerians. Mr. President has announced that NEC should immediately begin to sit, led by His Excellency Senator Kashim Shettima.
“In totality, as I previously stated, whatever we do today—whether it be an increase in the minimum wage, a transportation allowance, or the provision of any form of intervention—are only stopgaps. What we need to begin looking at is an energy transition for the entire nation—where we haven’t appreciated the fact that we can no longer power our vehicles with either diesel at the prices that it currently costs or with gasoline.
“We really want to start to see what acquires in different nations as that Egypt’s, here on the mainland, where they have changed all their mass travel over completely to burn Packed Regular Gasoline, CNG. Some other nations use either CNG or electricity to power their automobiles.
“These will be what will be sustainable and enable us to transport individuals, goods, and services at reasonable prices.” That is the sort of thing that we are checking out, the sort of conversations that we’re having with Mr President and the sort of approach that this organization is checking out at regarding maintainability.”
In the interim, DAPPMAN has communicated full help for the choice of the Tinubu-drove organization to support the expulsion of petroleum endowment since its initiation on May 29.
DAPPMAN stated that it would donate CNG-compliant buses, estimated to cost N10 billion, to improve Nigeria’s mass transportation network as a sign of support.
Executive of the affiliation, Mrs. Winifred Akpani, who spread the word about this yesterday, while talking with newsmen after she drove a designation of the body to the State House on civility visit to President Tinubu at the State House, Abuja.
In addition, Akpani, who is also the managing director of Northwest Petroleum and Gas Company Limited, stated that this was an opportunity for which they had waited a considerable amount of time and commended Tinubu for having the bravery and courage to put it into action.
She stated, That is due to the fact that we have desired and prayed for this day, and we are pleased that it has arrived.
“We did promise that we will work toward providing functioning real mass transit buses. The ones that can be used for both diesel and CNG, and hopefully we’ll start with 50-100 of them in a short amount of time.
She claims that because the buses would be manufactured locally, the program would assist in the creation of employment opportunities for many Nigerians.
“These are privately delivered vehicles so we are additionally giving position since we are utilizing neighborhood get together plants; we are not bringing in the transports and that is less strain on our unfamiliar trade and more positions for Nigerians,”
The DAPMAN pioneer said President Tinubu was content with the turn of events, as she communicated idealism that soon Nigerians would see that the expulsion of endowment on petroleum was a decent move by the president.
She, hence, asked all residents to help the President that way to push the nation ahead.
Abiodun supported her claims by confirming that each bus would have 50 seats and cost N100 million.
Each bus has 50 seats and costs approximately N100 million. Therefore, they will donate 100 buses, totaling N10 billion,” he stated.
The lead representative expressed in opposition to suggestions, petrol advertisers have never gone against the liberation of petroleum.
He went on to say, “I believe this single step demonstrates the fact that they have keyed in to this administration’s very laudable policy and are in support of deregulation.”
Abiodun approached different individuals from the coordinated confidential area like the Brokers Panel to take action accordingly and accomplish other things to pad the impacts of the evacuation of endowment on Nigerians.
Others on the escort included Director of Ardova Plc, who was additionally addressing Significant Oil Advertisers Relationship of Nigeria (MOMAN), AbdulWasiu Sowami; Suresh Kumar, the Managing Director of NIPCO P; Bunch Overseeing Overseer of Rainoil Restricted. Dr Gabriel Ogbechie; furthermore, the Monetary Secretary of DAPPMAN and Overseeing Overseer of Central area Oil and Gas Lmt, Chris Igwe.
