The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has called on the organizers of the proposed hunger protest to shelve the idea and come to the table for dialogue with the Federal Government.
Badaru, in a statement by his Personal Assistant on Media & Publicity, Mati Ali, made available to THESTORIES on Tuesday, said President Tinubu’s reforms have begun yielding fruitful results. He added that the nation’s economy is on a gradual but steady path of recovery and assured citizens that the administration will do more to meet their needs.
According to the Minister, the reforms initiated by President Tinubu have started improving the lives of Nigerians, with economic growth in Q1 2024 being the second fastest first-quarter growth in the last six years. He highlighted that the defence strategy, as enshrined in the Renewed Hope Agenda, is also yielding positive results in improving security.
“There is a serious improvement in security as most of the roads and highways previously closed due to insecurity have been reopened. Herders and farmers clashes have been resolved by the creation of the Livestock Ministry, and many farmers have returned to their farms,” Badaru stated.
The Minister also noted that President Tinubu is supporting farmers and has encouraged state governors to do the same. Additionally, there has been a massive surrendering of terrorists, and high-profile terrorist kingpins have been arrested.
Another example of President Tinubu’s initiatives, according to the Minister, is the creation of an instrument to support students. The introduction of the Nigerian Student Loan Scheme was initiated to increase access to higher education and reduce financial burdens on students.
Furthermore, the Minister highlighted the massive increase in funding for infrastructure such as roads, rails, energy, and irrigation through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund (RHIDF). He also praised the innovation of selling crude oil to indigenous refining companies in Naira and the signing of the National Minimum Wage Act into law, which is aimed at enhancing the welfare of Nigerian workers.
He also stated that another bold step taken by President Tinubu is the autonomy granted to local governments for effective accountability, development at the grassroots, and strengthening of governance.
Badaru added that the President has provided different levels of palliatives to state governments to support Nigerians in living better lives, including social security interventions, the Post Subsidy Removal Presidential Grant and Loans Scheme, the Nigerian Youth Investment Fund (NYIF), the Three Million Technical Talents (3MTT) initiative, and the Skilled-Up Artisan Initiative (SUPA).
The Minister noted that since the launch of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative by President Tinubu, it is expected that the cost of transportation will reduce by as much as 50 percent, unlocking the nation’s huge potential in the gas sector.
CNG conversion centers are growing exponentially across the country, creating job opportunities. The Federal Government has also made available 30,000 kits for the conversion of 30,000 petrol-powered engines at no cost within the next 90 days.
Additionally, the first batch of CNG Mass Transit Buses procured by the Federal Government for distribution to the 36 states and the FCT have arrived.
To address the high cost of drugs and encourage local production, the Minister stated that President Tinubu has signed an executive order introducing zero tariffs and duties on imports of raw materials, active pharmaceutical ingredients, and manufacturing equipment.
The Federal Government has also conducted two rounds of disbursement for primary healthcare revitalization through the Basic Health Provision Fund.
While acknowledging the democratic right to protest, the Minister cautioned against using the protest to cause mayhem, emphasizing that the proposed August 1 protest is poorly timed given the positive economic turnaround.
