President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Sunday told #Endbadgovernance protesters that he is ready for dialogue.
Tinubu made the overtures during a nationwide broadcast on the protest.
Lamenting the loss of lives and destruction of property that characterized the protest, the president said an end should be put to further destruction.
His words: “I am especially pained by the loss of lives in Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna and other states, the destruction of public facilities in some states, and the wanton looting of supermarkets and shops, contrary to the promise of protest organisers that the protest would be peaceful across the country. The destruction of properties sets us back as a nation, as scarce resources will be again used to restore them.
“I commiserate with the families and relations of those who have died in the protests. We must stop further bloodshed, violence and destruction.”
“As President of this country, I must ensure public order. In line with my constitutional oath to protect the lives and property of every citizen, our government will not stand idly by and allow a few with a clear political agenda to tear this nation apart.
“Under the circumstances, I hereby enjoin protesters and the organisers to suspend any further protest and create room for dialogue, which I have always acceded to at the slightest opportunity. Nigeria requires all hands on deck and needs us all – regardless of age, party, tribe, religion or other divides, to work together in reshaping our destiny as a nation.”
He stated further: “I have heard you loud and clear. I understand the pain and frustration that drive these protests, and I want to assure you that our government is committed to listening and addressing the concerns of our citizens.”
The president warned that Nigerians should no let violence and destruction tear the nation apart.
He said it was expedient to work together to build a brighter future, where every Nigerian could live with dignity and prosperity.
“Let nobody misinform and miseducate you about your country or tell you that your government does not care about you. Although there have been many dashed hopes in the past, we are in a new era of Renewed Hope. We are working hard for you, and the results will soon be visible and concrete for everyone to see, feel, and enjoy.
“Let us work together to build a brighter future for ourselves and for generations to come. Let us choose hope over fear, unity over division, and progress over stagnation. The economy is recovering; Please, don’t shut out its oxygen. Now that we have been enjoying democratic governance for 25 years, do not let the enemies of democracy use you to promote an unconstitutional agenda that will set us back on our democratic journey. FORWARD EVER, BACKWARD NEVER!,” he emphasized.
While promising to do more in order to improve the economic situation of the country, the president spoke on the efforts so far made by his government.
Said he: “In the past 14 months, our government has made significant strides in rebuilding the foundation of our economy to carry us into a future of plenty and abundance. On the fiscal side, aggregate government revenues have more than doubled, hitting over 9.1 trillion Naira in the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023 due to our efforts at blocking leakages, introducing automation, and mobilising funding creatively without additional burden on the people. Productivity is gradually increasing in the non-oil sector, reaching new levels and taking advantage of the opportunities in the current economic ambience
“My dear brothers and sisters, we have come this far. Coming from a place where our country spent 97% of all our revenue on debt service; we have been able to reduce that to 68% in the last 13 months. We have also cleared legitimate outstanding foreign exchange obligations of about $5billion without any adverse impact on our programmes.
“This has given us more financial freedom and the room to spend more money on you, our citizens, to fund essential social services like education and healthcare. It has also led to our State, and Local Governments receiving the highest allocations ever in our country’s history from the Federation Account.”
The president said his government had also embarked on major infrastructure projects across the country.
“We are working to complete inherited projects critical to our economic prosperity, including roads, bridges, railways, power, and oil and gas developments. Notably, the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway projects will open up 16 connecting states, creating thousands of jobs and boosting economic output through trade, tourism and cultural integration,” he said.
He said the once-declining oil and gas industry was already experiencing a resurgence on the back of the reforms he announced in May 2024 to address the gaps in the Petroleum Industry Act.
He added that only last month, the government increased oil production to 1.61million barrels per day, and the gas assets were receiving the attention they deserved.
The president said already, investors were coming back, and two Foreign Direct Investments of over half a billion dollars had been signed.
These are apart from other efforts which he said had been ongoing to ensure that life was improved for the better.
