Vice President Kashim Shettima says the Nigerian Government will, in the coming weeks, launch an e-logistics programme in the North-East and deploy 10,600 electric tricycles alongside 300 buses and e-taxis to ease transportation and cushion economic challenges in the region.
VP Shettima who disclosed this on Saturday while speaking with journalists after visiting President Bola Tinubu at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos, said that the administration was rolling out programmes and projects aimed at improving the living conditions of Nigerians.
“The government is rolling out programmes and projects to assuage the pains of our people. In the next couple of weeks, we are going to launch e-logistics in the North-East, we are going to run 10,600 electric tricycles to ease the pains of the people in the North-East, and 300 buses and taxis, e-taxis. All these were meant to ameliorate the sufferings of our people.
“We appreciate the pains Nigerians are going through, but tough times do not last forever. Tough people do.” The Vice President stated.
The Vice President lauded president Tinubu’s return to the country, saying he remained in regular contact with the Nigerian Leader throughout his stay abroad and exchanged updates on developments in Nigeria.
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Shettima said advancement in science and technology made it possible for the President to remain actively engaged in governance while away, stating that his return would bring renewed focus to decisions and programmes aimed at improving the lives of Nigerians.
He also defended the administration’s economic reforms, emphasising that President Tinubu inherited severe economic pressures and had taken difficult decisions, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the realignment of multiple exchange rates, to address the situation.
“The withdrawal of the fuel subsidy, the realignment of the multiple exchange rates, were far-reaching decisions. He literally, the economy was actually teetering on the verge of collapse, he saved the economy. I want Nigerians to understand this fundamental truism. We are on the road to Caracas. He saved our economy. He saved the nation from falling to pieces,” he said.
Vice President Shettima noted that the President acknowledges the challenges facing ordinary Nigerians and would continue to introduce interventions to ease the impact of the reforms.
He cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, as one of the administration’s interventions designed to expand access to education for students from financially constrained backgrounds.
“The president has empathy, a lot of empathy for the common man. The NELFUND is a master’s stroke aim at assisting students of limited means to have access to drink from the Western Spring. So be rest assured that we’ll come up with programs and projects to ease the pains of the people. Politics is in the air, but we will combine politics and governance,” the VP explained.
The Vice President said that although political activities were gathering momentum in the country, the administration would continue to combine politics with governance and remain focused on programmes that directly affect Nigerians.
President Tinubu also hosted the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, and Chairman of The Nation Editorial Board, Sam Omatseye, at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos ahead of the launch of Omatseye’s book, From AD to APC: The Evolution of Political Parties and the Exploits of One Man.
