Soludo, Elumelu, ANAN Hail Tinubu’s Economic, Tax Reforms

•UBA chairman holds private meeting with president

Deji Elumoye in Abuja, David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka and Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

President Bola Tinubu yesterday, received accolades from the Chairman of Heirs Holdings and the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Mr. Tony Elumelu, over his policy decisions on the nation’s economy since he assumed office about three months ago.

This was just as Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, also commended Tinubu over his courage to remove fuel subsidy

Elumelu, who spoke to newsmen after a private meeting with Tinubu, at the State House, Abuja, acknowledged that the president had taken good decisions in the interest of the country, saying the private sector had been encouraged by the steps taken so far.

According to him, all things done by Tinubu so far had been in the interest of all Nigerians, especially women and the youths, saying in the long-run, Nigeria would benefit from it, all while imploring Nigerians to be patient with the president.

His words: “The private sector is encouraged with the bold decisions President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has taken and we hope that in the fullness of time, Nigerians will benefit from it because it’s all about the Nigerian people, it’s all about our youths, it’s all about making sure our women are involved and empowered.

“It’s all about making sure our youths get jobs and I think Mr President has this at the back of his mind and I believe, as a private sector person, that the actions and the decisions the President is taking now will help our people in the long run.”

He urged Nigerians to be more patient with the president and the ongoing process, saying, “a bit of patience, you know Rome was not built in a day.”

Similarly, Soludo, yesterday, commended Tinubu over the courage to remove fuel subsidy.

Soludo, who spoke during the 9th (7th Quadrennial) Delegates Conference of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Anambra State wing, described the removal of subsidy as necessary.

Soludo stated that the removal had the potential of re-engineering the nation’s economy.

He said: “It’s high time the country woke up to the reality that it is a poor country and begin to live within her means.

“Starting from those in leadership, there was need to begin to live and demonstrate to the people that Nigeria is a poor country.

“The reality of the subsidy removal affected everybody and not just civil servants. The present administration’s plan to cushion the effects was all-encompassing, including the immediate and medium term efforts.”

Soludo said his government would  recruit more teachers and continue to give accessible and quality education to the  citizenry.

Relatedly, the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN) lauded the steps so far taken by Tinubu’s government on the country’s fiscal and tax reforms which it said would free resources for the ordinary people in the long run

National President of ANAN, Dr. James Neminebor, gave the commendation in Benin City, capital of Edo State, yesterday, at the 4th Session of the Mandatory Continuing Professional Development (MCPD).

 He said the essence of the MCPD was to update members of ANAN on modern techniques and standards in accounting so that they could produce the needed and relevant data for government and private organisations to plan.

 According to him, “The new government has been very pragmatic, it is like they know what they are doing. He (the president) has just put up a committee that will lead the fiscal policy of the administration and incidentally all the financially involved professional bodies are in that committee; ICAN is a member, ANAN is a member, CITN is a member and myself, I am a member of that committee.

“We are articulating what the fiscal policy of this administration will be and of course the tax reforms because if we change the fiscal policy and the tax reform will bring some relief to the ordinary person that is why the government is there, government is not for itself, it is for the people.”

On his part, the Chief Executive Officer of ANAN, Dr. Kayode Fasua, said ANAN and all other financial bodies must be involved in the fight against fraud in the country, adding that, “the issue of fraud in Nigeria is not the job of the gate keeper alone, but something that is endemic that all of us must know that many people perpetuate what is fraudulent without even realising that it is fraudulent because it has become a part of us that is why there is need for that continuous sensitisation which we give at our various fora which we give also to the government.”