The Nigerian Government says peace and stability remain the bedrock of its economic recovery and driver for good governance.
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume stated this at Ministerial Press briefing in Abuja, Nigeria.
He said economic prosperity for the nation remains the ultimate goal of the administration of President Bola Tinubu because it is the engine that drives progress, lifts families from poverty, and builds strong and resilient societies.
“To achieve this goal, we must enjoy peace and stability because it is the cornerstone upon which we build trust, cooperation, and shared purpose. When peace reigns, policies yield results, businesses thrive, investments flourish, and creativity is unleashed,” he said.
According to him, the intended challenges being faced by Nigerians are a result of the few bold policy decisions taken by the present administration.
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He, however, reiterated that the hardship will abate very soon giving way to endless prosperity.
“This administration at inception in May 2023 inherited an economy in need of urgent, bold, and imaginative reforms. Policy measures including the removal of an unsustainable fuel subsidy regime had to be taken. This, it must be admitted has resulted in unexpected adjustments that impacted all facets of the economy and our daily lives.”
He further stated that President Bola Tinubu’s administration also inherited a security situation that had existed for two decades and required greater attention in terms of upgrade of security architecture, infrastructure, systems, capability, and capacity of personnel.
This, according to him, has compelled a massive infusion of scarce resources from the already dwindling revenue.
He noted that the objectives have been to secure lives and property, build foreign investors’ confidence, and increase food production by returning communities to their homes and farmlands in a safe and secure environment.
Reeling out the achievements of the administration within the past fourteen months, the SGF said the achievements had laid the foundation for immediate, medium- and long-term prosperity of Nigerians, in an inclusive manner.
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He highlighted the release of five billion Naira to each State that prioritised the poor, vulnerable, and the elderly; the approval of a Wage Award of Thirty-five thousand Naira for six months for workers, twenty trailers of assorted grains to each State, signing into law a new National Minimum Wage Act which prescribed N70,000:00, removal of tariff on imported food items as well as provision of farm inputs including fertilizers, establishment of the Ministry for Livestock Development amongst others.
According to him, others are; the development of roads and other critical infrastructure, rolling out of Social Safety Net Programmes, Local Government autonomy, and the N35 Billion Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), under Youth development.
While the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume recognises the right to peaceful protest, he noted that caution must be applied.
He appealed to all groups irrespective of belief, demography, gender, and status to shun the calls for protest against hunger by prioritising peace and progress.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sought the mandate of Nigerians to lead the nation at this difficult time because he knew that effective leadership was required to address the challenges that had accumulated over several years. That was why he sought to renew the hope of Nigerians,” he emphasised.
He enjoined Nigerians to go about their legitimate businesses and avoid actions and or associations that are capable of disturbing the peace of the country.
