I understand the suffering of the people due to the removal of fuel subsidy and will soon remedy it, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assured Nigerians yesterday.
In a letter to the two chambers, he asked the National Assembly to approve N500 billion in palliatives.
The President also stated that energy supplies will be greatly improved, adding that his policies are aimed at revitalizing the economy in the best interests of all Nigerians.
He spoke during a meeting with the class of 1999 governors, of whom he is a member, at Aso Villa in Abuja.
Eighteen former governors, led by Lucky Igbinedion (Edo), paid a visit to President Buhari to express their support for his government. According to Igbinedion, just 26 of the 36 governors from the 1999 class are still alive.
Tinubu said: “I understand that our people are suffering; yet, there can be no childbirth without pain. The joy of childbirth is the relief that comes after the pain.
“Nigeria is reborn already with fuel subsidy removal. It is a rebirth of the country for the largest number of smugglers. Please, tell the people to be a little patient.
“We served as governors and sat in this Council Chamber. All I wanted was democracy and the salvation of the country. I never thought I was going to be here as President, but God Almighty has brought me.
“My commitment to that democratic value is unwavering. I am overwhelmed and honoured by the number of you here,
“I have an open-door policy. You are my advisers. We went into the pond and wrestled with a pig. We got dirty and cleaned up. That is why I am here today.â€
President Tinubu stated that the country will not make substantial development unless electricity is fixed, and he assured that his administration will harness gas resources and investigate all options to ensure steady power generation and supply.
On security, the President, who had earlier met with Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum to review the situation in the Northeast, urged Nigerians, particularly those in Plateau State, to sheath their swords and use dialogue to resolve conflicts, adding that border issues were man-made, not created by God.
“We will do everything possible to stabilise the country,†he added.
Former governors urged President Buhari to pursue his vision for a better Nigeria with enthusiasm, tenacity, and resilience, expressing confidence in their support for development programs and committing to create the required social foundation for implementation.
“We are here with you. We are your foot soldiers, and you can tap into our experience. You are a person who believes in Nigeria. With your good leadership, Nigeria will take its placeâ€, Igbinedion said.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Igbinedion said: “We came to congratulate Mr President and also to thank him for making one of us the Secretary to Government.
“We came to assure him that he has our full support and prayers for the bold steps he has started to take, for his initiatives and also let him know that this is beyond party politics.
“We’re now talking about Project Nigeria, therefore all hands must be on deck to give Mr President the needed support and encouragement to foster a better nation.
“We also seized the opportunity to congratulate him as the new Chairman of the ECOWAS and assure him that we’re with him and anytime he wants to dig into the wealth of experience of these very prominent and well-founded members of Class of ’99, he should rest assured that we’ll continue to give him the necessary support.
“Therefore, Nigerians should wait patiently and believe in him, that he’s going to come up with palliatives that will put smiles on the faces of every one of us in Nigeria
“So, we believe him and we want to encourage you also to give him the necessary support through the media and give correct information to the general populace so that we’ll have a greater nation,†he said.
Igbinedion stated that the panel discussed other national issues such as security, unemployment, and infrastructure needs.
“We talked about security, we talked about unemployment and we talked about electricity because without electricity, we really cannot develop. So for us to develop, there must be a constant, uninterrupted power supply.
“The issue of subsidy is gone and it’s gone forever. People should start finding their level and I’m sure that in time things will come to normal and also the unification of the exchange rate into one now, as was also mentioned.
“So, these are just the basic issues that we raised there and Mr President, on his own, thanked us for coming en masse. You can see in 1999 we were 36, but today we’re now 26.
“We want to assure you that even though some of us have gone to the great beyond, the majority of us are still very much alive and it is our prayer that we’ll continue to be of service to our nation, without any prejudices,†he said.
He confirmed that there were 19 people present during the meeting, including President Tinubu, the governor of Lagos State.
George Akume, the governor of Benue State, was also there as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
Niyi Adebayo (Ekiti), Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Sam Egwu (Ebonyi), Adamu Muazu (Bauchi), Donald Duke (Cross River), James Ibori (Delta), and Obong Victor Attah (Akwa Ibom) were also present.
Chimaroke Nnamani (Enugu), Saminu Turaki (Jigawa), Adamu Aleiro (Kebbi), Olusegun Osoba (Ogun), Adebisi Akande (Osun), Joshua Dariye (Plateau), Attahiru Bafarawa (Sokoto), Ahmad Sani Yarima (Zamfara), and Rev. Jolly Nyame (Taraba State) were also among those present.