The Federal Government has clarified that the primary aim of the Tinubu Administration is not to impose hardship on Nigerians but to address ineffective policies and choices that have historically impeded the country’s progress with bold and effective solutions.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made this statement in Abuja on Wednesday during a briefing with the Diplomatic Community about the recent nationwide protests. The meeting took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Idris emphasized that President Tinubu is committed to implementing reforms designed to foster sustainable growth and enhance the quality of life for all citizens, asserting that the current challenges are only temporary.
“It is important to kick off on this note: that President Tinubu did not come to office to cause hardship or make life difficult for Nigerians. He has come to office with bold solutions to historical problems; with the determination to correct many of the poor policies and dysfunctional choices that have held us back as a nation for decades.
“The President assumed office during one of Nigeria’s most challenging periods in its history, where the country was spending 97% of all its revenue on debt service; coupled with widespread poverty, rising unemployment, dilapidated infrastructure, and insecurity. Faced with these daunting realities, the administration took decisive action and implemented long-overdue reforms to save the economy from collapse,” he said.
The Minister said for decades, the costly, wasteful and unsustainable fuel subsidy regime had denied Nigeria the opportunity to invest in critical infrastructure, social service, and the welfare of its citizens hence the President took a very painful decision to abolish the fuel subsidy and redirect the funds towards critical sectors such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and security, which directly impact citizens’ well-being and the development of the country.
He said the President was not under any illusion that the withdrawal of fuel subsidy and the harmonization of foreign exchange rates would not come with some transitional pains – situation that informed the decision of the Federal Government to design comprehensive intervention programmes to cushion the transitional pains.
“We have been very determined about ensuring that these interventions are fully implemented, and bring the intended relief to Nigerians,” he stated.
While speaking on the nationwide protest, the Minister said the government respects the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, which are cornerstones of all democratic societies, but stressed that what began as a peaceful protest in some States and the Federal Capital Territory, was soon hijacked by elements who infiltrated the protest and orchestrated violent activities that destroyed lives and properties.
“There were reports of arson, vandalism, looting, and clashes with law enforcement agents in several cities. Tragically, these incidents led to the loss of innocent lives and significant damage to properties.
“In response to these unforeseen events, the Federal Government acted swiftly to restore peace and order. It is important to emphasize that the security forces were instructed to exercise maximum restraint and adhere to international standards in managing civil protests. They have indeed put in a lot of work to ensure the safety of all law-abiding Nigerians, and to maintain order, in the last week. But they have also been decisive in their response to criminality, and it is important to separate these from their commendable approach to legitimate protests,” he said.
Idris, who assured the Diplomatic Community that the worst is over, said the Federal Government has launched an investigation into the violence that occurred during the protest in order to identify and bring to justice all those responsible.
“We are committed to preventing the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents in the future,” he said.
