President Bola Tinubu has urged Nigerians to be patient with his administration in the aftermath of the elimination of petrol subsidies, claiming that the action is in the best interests of the country.
Tinubu addressed in Abuja on Thursday during the public presentation of an elder statesman’s memoirs, Edwin Clark.
The Nigerian president, who was represented at the occasion by Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) George Akume, stated that measures are being taken to mitigate the effects of the subsidy reduction.
“Solutions to problems can never be as instant as coffee. But we must certainly be there. I know the removal of fuel subsidy has created some things. And that is why palliatives are being put in place of 100 trucks,” President Tinubu said.
“Fertilizers have been sent to the states, 100 trucks of grains have been sent and more are coming. Buses are also coming. We can endure this for a moment.
“What we are going through today is for a better tomorrow. Nations are great because citizens have hope. They have hope that tomorrow will be better than today.”
His remark follows the Federal Government’s acceptance of palliatives for state governments.
The National Economic Council (NEC) authorized N5 billion for each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as cereals for state governors, following its meeting at the Presidential Villa.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, who made the announcement during a press conference, added that the government also sent five trucks of rice to each of the 36 state governors.
He also stated that governors are supposed to purchase 100,000 bags of rice, 40,000 bags of corn, and fertilizers as part of preparations to mitigate the impact of the cessation of fuel subsidies.
Zulum noted that 52% of the monies were distributed as grants to the states. The remaining 48% is classified as a loan.
