President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday gave marching orders to the National Economic Council (NEC) to immediately work out palliatives to mitigate the effects of petrol subsidy removal.
He met for the first time with the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) members.
The governors, who President Tinubu mandated to end poverty in their states, restated their backing for subsidy removal.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun told reporters that the President hinted at the instruction to NEC during the meeting with the governors.
A statement by the Director of Information at the State House, Abiodun Oladunjoye, quoted the President as saying: “We can see the effects of poverty on the faces of our people.
“Poverty is not hereditary, it is from the society. Our position is to eliminate poverty.
“Set aside partisan politics. We are here to deliberate about Nigeria and nation-building. We are a family occupying one house, and sleeping in different rooms.
“If we see it that way and push forward, we will get our people out of poverty. A determined mind is a fertile ground for delivering results.”
The President said good governance would safeguard the future of democracy.
“Present in this room is our diversity in culture and politics, but we are one nation. The unity and stability of the country rest upon us.
“We are in a democracy and we have to nurture the democracy. It is a hard-earned system and not easy to manage.
“If anyone thinks it is easy, look at other nations who are over a hundred years in democracy.
“We have managed ourselves very well to have a democracy. We have campaigned and arrived at our present destination. We must work for our people,” President Tinubu told the governors while assuring them that he would maintain an open-door policy.
The President said he was prepared to share ideas, strengthen institutions, and create bottom-up frameworks that will improve the livelihood of Nigerians.
Credit: The Nation
