Steadily and surefootedly, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu moves to complete one year in office today, Wednesday 29th May 2024. The symbolic day constitutionally scheduled for this event remains May 29, 2024. Instructively, the president’s one year in office looks like 10 years and even more.There are many factors that surround this.
Asiwaju Tinubu has for long been operating as ‘president’ before he eventually assumed power and authority as Commander -in – Chief of Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Of course, the iconic 15 Bourdillon Street, Ikoyi, Lagos for decades, especially since the turn of Fourth Republic in 1999 has been a ‘political power house’ where Nigerian successive presidents, as well as those who have been occupying exalted offices of national assembly leadership, and several governors irrespective of party affiliations, were being identified and chosen.
So, the illustrious and mercurial ex-Lagos State governor has long been divinely empowered with a mysterious aura, clout, influence, power, and authority ever before he ascended the presidency. Indeed, for him, the office of the president is just an icing on the cake.
And, therefore, with that political majesty and royalty, he was inaugurated as Nigeria president after the most tempestuous, acrimonious, ill-tempered and rancorous presidential election that has ever been conducted in the history of this nation, to begin what is turning out to be an eventful and busiest reign in the country political journey to democratic rule.
Unlike before during the anniversary of one year in office of the Nigerian presidents , and in the previous regimes where weeks of ceremony used to follow the inauguration of president, Tinubu didn’t only surprise Nigerians by returning to work in Aso Villa immediately after he was inaugurated. He gave the citizenry so much to think about with his pronouncement of outright removal of petroleum products subsidy, as well as new regime of floating of exchange rate of nation currency, subjecting the naira to market forces; the two issues that have long remained very sensitive and major determinants of direction of the nation economy.
The pronouncement at the inauguration came as thunderbolt rocking all the stakeholders – Nigerian people, business and political leaders, employers of labour, oil marketers, local and foreign investors.These are two major contentious issues that have been decades, no-go area for the successive administrations, even, with the military regimes with their might. For a new president with zero tolerance for frivolities, indolence, and idleness in governance, a series of events and policy announcements began to roll in torrents.
The president immediately mandated the rehabilitation of Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries, with a total rehabilitated sum of $1.58 and $1.45 billion, respectively, paid, as well as ordered timelines for their completion.
The immediate privatization and commercialization of NNPC was announced, with a new name NNPCL coming into being, with the new Board of Directors.
Other subsidiaries were also created from the hitherto behemoth Federal government agency to take charge of gas resources and other petroleum related activities. Meanwhile, in a bid to stabilize the economy and refocus the monetary system, as well as giving Nigerians a fresh breath of air, the Godwin Emefiele- led Central Bank of Nigeria was swept away out of office. In his bid to ensure the smooth running of government, and having in his consciousness that the executive indeed needs legislative and judiciary arms of government to optimally function, the president ensured a smooth and seamless emergence of national assembly leadership, with members collaboratively and willingly elected accomplished, tested and trusted members amongst themselves to occupy those offices.
However, it is important to analyse the administration of President Tinubu since its inception last year, 29th May 2023. No doubt, the economy was already in comatose before he was sworn in as President of Nigeria and since assuming office, he has made some unprecedented difficult decisions to bring it back on the sustainable growth, self reliance, and development.
President Tinubu has embarked upon reforms aiming at changing the past negative narrative of the previous administration by the reorganisation of the federal character commission to reflect the national spread among the stakeholders of the component structures of Nigeria He has been able to sustain its practicability.
In his inaugural address, he promised Nigerians that the era of impunity was over, and he had lived up to his promise. Despite meeting the economy on the brinks of collapse, President Tinubu has initiated a number of credible administrative and management efforts to reinvigorate the development agenda of his administration. He is determined to change the moribund economy that he inherited from former President Buhari to a more prosperous economy where Nigerians would not have to go to bed on an empty stomach.
The effects of the fuel subsidy removal policy have truly changed the ways and means of doing business in Nigeria. It hasn't been easy, though, to break through, but the real economic problem is when there are saboteurs who are working to impoverish the entire nation for their own selfish interests. This has made a series of industrial efforts of the present government unattainable. We are a nation bedevilled in corruption, stealing of our commonwealth, nepotism, and sabotage.
Despite these negative forces clouding over the horizon, the present administration has made a significant impact on the welfare of our students with signing into law the students' loan policy. There should be no more reasons for the students in Nigeria to drop out of school over their inability to pay their tuition fees.
Similarly, procurement, renewal, and getting prompt attention in the passport collection, which had been a herculean task, has now been tremendously changed with the holistic approach by the current interior ministry, Tunji-Ojo to reform the system. This is one major stride of the administration of President Tinubu, which is applauded
Education, security, social insurance scheme and other hitherto uncontrollable hindrances mitigating against the progress of Nigeria before the advent of his administration are being tackled with a strong determination to reposition the country on the path of sustainable growth and development.....
by Otunba Jafaru BRAIMOH
Institute of African British & Globalisation.
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