The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Malagi has assured Nigerians that the vision of President Bola Tinubu was to provide succour to Nigerians, revamp the economy and return the country to prosperity and sought for more time.
But the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), however, insisted that the policies such as fuel subsidy removal – hike in the price of petrol; Naira devaluation, floating foreign exchange market, among others, have brought untold hardship on Nigerians.
The minister gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja at the 21st edition of the Daily Trust Dialogue and Presentation of African of the Year Award with the theme: ”Tinubu’s Economic Reforms; Gainers and Losers”.
Malagi also said some of the palliative measures initiated by the federal government are being implemented despite initial constraints.
He noted that the state governors now get about 50 per cent of what they were getting from the central government to equally tackle the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.
Malagi noted: “The N35, 000 wage award, I know that there were some technical disruptions in the way they were implemented but I can tell you that the President is committed to ensuring that every Kobo meant for the wage award is paid to entitled federal workers. The federal government has insisted that it has made a commitment.
“There was also the issue of the palliatives that we talked about. Now because fuel subsidy almost went away abruptly there was the need to cushion that effect in the short time. Government is not saying every economic policy will be an emergency one or the one driven by palliative.
“What it sought to address was important that people have an immediate cushion to what was happening before a long term solution was proffered. So it’s not all gloomy, it’s not all emergency. Of course, if you have an immediate shock, it is important that you have a first aid before a long term solution is being proffered and that is being done jointly with labour itself.”
Malagi stressed that when the federal government was making the wage award or providing some succour, it did not stop at the federal level, adding that every state of the federation was involved because they know where the population resides and all the governors were invited.
He added: “Today no state governor is not getting an addition of not less than 50 per cent of what he used to get. So let us also ask the governors what are they also doing with those funds. It is not only the federal government, the state governments are there.
“When the federal government gave money for the immediate purchase of grains, it didn’t do itself, it handed it over to the state governors. Monies were given to them, assorted fertilizer were also bought. These were all done by the state governors. The approach of Bola Ahmed Tinubu is that of inclusivity.
“It is important to know the vision of President Tinubu to provide succour to Nigerians and revamp this economy, to return Nigeria to the prosperity. I am not saying that seven months is a short time but seven months is not enough cycle for a woman to deliver a pregnancy. So let’s give the federal government a chance, the president is desirous of making life better for Nigerians,”
The organised labour, the federal government and other concerned stakeholders have sharply disagreed on the consequences of the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.