MR. PRESIDENT, AS THE NEW YEAR BECKONS…
Sir, since your inauguration as president on May 29, 2023, a new vista seems to have opened in the nation’s leadership as Nigerians have been treated to developmental, focused, and result-oriented leadership.
There is no shadow of doubt that Your Excellency has displayed absolute sense of patriotism and equity in running the affairs of the nation. In one or two paragraphs in your inaugural speech, you drew the curtains on the oil subsidy, a most contentious and hydra-headed malaise, a hitherto a no-go area for successive administrations.
Your Excellency gave a firm order for the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries and backed this resolve up with the total payment of $1.5 billion and $1.4 billionrespectively, two projects expected to be delivered between December 2023 and Jan 2024.
The Dangote Refinery which ought to have come alive with production of 650,000 barrels/day, in line with the promise to Nigerians about a year ago, is likely to honour the promise made.
Your Excellency has taken deep interest in the activities of NNPCL, being the nation’s engine room, by decisively attempting to repositioning the Agency with the appointment of an incredibly accomplished and very experienced oil & gas chieftain, Pius Akinyelure as the new Board Chairman, as well as renewing the tenure of the incumbent Group Managing Director.
For the very first time in our democratic experiment, Nigeria now have substantive ministers driving the newly created solid minerals development, as well as digital economy, a tremendous and strategic initiatives aimed at giving impetus to Nigeria’s determined quest to genuinely diversify the economy.
At Your Excellency’s continual prompting, FCT, Abuja is being restructured, reorganized and repositioned in line with her original concept through the bold, courageous and uncompromising stance of Minister Wike Nyesom.
At your instance, the CBN has not only been restructured within a very short time of your inauguration, the Apex Bank has been re-aligned with that of Ministry of Finance in a new regime of fiscal orderliness, harmony and collaboration between fiscal and monetary policies, an awesome development geared at betterment and growth of the nation economy.
It’s also a new dawn in the Nigerian political sphere as Your Excellency has taken unusual interest in the political affairs in the federating units across the country, bringing your fatherly role and gargantuan political experience to bear on the political crisis in Ondo and Rivers States.
What has excited this writer most, is Your Excellency’s spirited and valiant attempts in reconnecting and re-interfacing Nigeria nation and her economy with the rest of the world. Within just seven months of your inauguration, you’ve conducted business visits to about seven key business summits around the world and also, in strategic global locations. It’s also germane to note that some results of the business deals brokered by Your Excellency during the summits are fast manifesting.
However, it’s important to draw Your Excellency’s attention to present circumstance and situation in most households across the nation, as New Year beckons. Following the removal of oil subsidy and coupled with the collapse of the nation currency against the Dollar and Pound Sterling, most Nigerians are going through hell. It’s an understatement to submit that millions of Nigerians are disoriented, disillusioned and in absolute state of despondence.
Parents are finding it difficult to honor obligations;school fees, utilities, foods and other basic needs of life.
The teeming youths across the nation are just moving like sheep without shepherd, looking for just anything that can bring them money for survival. This is why criminality pervades in all the nooks and crannies. It’s as terrible as that!
Your Excellency, Sir, the governors completely messed up the palliatives of ₦5 billion given to them for the purpose of providing succor for Nigerians. If we’re to say it the way it is, they simply diverted the huge sums!
Technically, the huge sum had little or no impact whatsoever. This indicates that Nigerians’ situation remains the way it was, before the palliatives. Your Excellency, it’s absolutely pointless in faulting or doubting my submission. You should do something different that will bring succour to the people.
Kola Amzat (FCA, FCIB, ACTIN, ACS), Lagos
