Nigeria @ 63: Tinubu Making Transformative Strides Across All Sectors

By Femi Salako

Nigeria @ 63: Tinubu Making Transformative Strides Across All Sectors

By Femi Salako

Publisher Triangle News Media

Trianglemagazine8@gmail.com
As Nigeria celebrates her 63rd independence anniversary under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, it is important therefore, to acknowledge that it obviously not yet Uhuru for the most populous black nation. It is however, worthy of note that transformative strides of the former Lagos Governor across all sectors are beginning to yield the desired results.

In his less than four months of presiding over the affairs of Nigeria,
President Tinubu had come up with well thought-out policies that are targeted at correcting entrenched institutional abuses, systemic anomalies and to also free-up resources for developmental projects. Chief of these policies was the termination of the hemorrhaging fuel subsidy and the multiple foreign exchange windows. The president has since assumption of office been strategically waging relentless wars on insecurity, oil theft and had also gone ahead to reverse the trend of reckless borrowing; which was sadly the norm of the previous administration.

Commendably, President Tinubu has mustered the political will to deal decisively with the disturbing issues of institutional abuse and endemic corruption. He had gone a step further to appoint Jim Obazee as a Special Investigator to probe the activities of the Central Bank of Nigeria and other related entities.

President Tinubu has equally been making giant strides to reposition Nigeria for Foreign Direct Investments as well as strengthening the nation’s relations with other countries of the world.
Tinubu, recently gave an inaugural speech at the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), where he emphasized the need for Africa nations to overcome the constraints of foreign exploitation and unlock its vast potential. He also took advantage of the global session to canvass mutually beneficial investments for Nigeria. President Tinubu also went ahead to undertake the historic ringing of the closing bell at NASDAQ in New York, United States. The event was part of the proceedings at the executive business dialogue organised by the United States Chamber of Commerce, Nigerian Exchange Group Plc and Nigerian Investment Promotion Council.

Meanwhile, what could be gleefully described as an independence day gift to Nigerians by President Tinubu was the composition of a formidably young, dynamic and visionary cabinet. It is quite heartwarming that the appointed ministers have since hit the ground running by coming up with policies
that had evidently marked radical departure from the old order and also brought positive impacts on Nigerians.

In line with the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of President Bola Tinubu, the minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has already made a bold statement that a new Nigeria is possible. The former parliamentarian has in less then one month done what could be described as the impossible by clearing the backlog of 204,000 international passports through the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).
He simply achieved this feat by providing leadership and removing bureaucratic bottlenecks impeding Nigerians from acquiring international passports and other immigration documents.

It is a general knowledge that prior to the inauguration of Tunji-Ojo as the Minister of Interior, the issue of
renewal and obtaining of new passport was a huge embarrassment to Nigeria as a nation. Before Tunji-Ojo stepped in to clear the passports backlog, Nigerian seeking to renew and obtain new international passports had been subjected to endless waiting time of as long as one year by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS). However, this is now a thing of the past as Nigerians seeking to obtain new passports now readily get it done in less than two weeks, as against the old order.

Undoubtedly, what seems like a superman performance by Tunji-Ojo has not only brought huge relief to Nigerians, it has equally elicited appreciative testimonies from thousands of youthful and aged Nigerians. In addition, the visionary
Tunji-Ojo has also put measures in place for a seamless partnership between the Interior Ministry and Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation. The ingenious collaboration is strategically aimed at addressing the issues of illegal migration, human trafficking, child labour as well as the provision of vocational skills at correctional centres.

More so, the Interior Minister has ingeniously come up with measures to expand the scope of the National Fire Academy located at Sheda in Abuja. This novel plan is to allow usage of the fire academy for the training of private sector players, so as to ensure that fire safety becomes personal affairs. Ultimately, Tunji-Ojo hopes to ensure that every institution, such as commercial, educational, social and recreational centres would have their certified fire and safety personnel.

Also deserving of credit is the
sterling performance of the Minister of Federal Capital Territory,
Nyesom Wike. He had on assumption of office identified sources of revenue leakages in the FCT and this has led to the realization of one billion naira as Internally Generated Revenue from land use charges in his first month of office. He had also devised means to address the worrisome issue of abandoned projects in the FCT with the introduction of Irrevocable Standing Payment Orders (ISPOs) to make funds available for definite schedules of projects, as agreed with contractors. The minister had equally ordered immediate release of funds to CCECC Nigeria Limited for the rehabilitation of vandalized Abuja light rail facilities within the shortest possible time. Wike has is also up and doing to ensure restoration of the master plan of Abuja. In line with the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda, Nyesom Wike had also taken proactive measures to combat insecurity in rural communities of Abuja with the presentation of official vehicles to 10 third class graded chiefs in the FCT.

Also, Festus Keyamo, SAN has equally been making bold statements in his capacity as the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development. He had promptly
ordered the relocation of all flight operations from the smelly, decrepit and outmoded old terminal
of Lagos airport to the new international terminal at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA). He also gone ahead to suspend the on-going process to have a national carrier, Nigeria Air as well as the concession of the terminals of major airports in Nigeria. The Senior Advocate had also visited Norway to inspect and procure essential safety and communication equipment for the control towers of twelve Nigerian airports.

More so, the former National Women Leader of APC and Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr Betta Edu has equally been doing the needful in her quest to give real meaning to the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of President Tinubu. She has also been doggedly pursuing the establishment of a Presidential Humanitarian and Poverty Alleviation Trust Fund and to also lift 133 million Nigerians out of poverty and other humanitarian crises. The ministry had therefore gone ahead to solicit technical and financial support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. She is already working on how to create 10 million jobs for Nigerians
through different interventions and initiatives with the ultimate aim of reducing poverty. She is also rolling out measures to revamp and relaunch the N-Power scheme with the renewed hope’ concept, in order to accommodate more beneficiaries and to also ensure prompt payment of stipends.

There is no doubt that Nigeria is still a work in progress, but the nation is certainly in the hand of a highly experienced and focused repairer. Of a truth, the repair work being undertaken by President Tinubu is geared toward restoring the lost glory of Nigeria and to also leave the country far better than he inherited it.