The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has expressed his disagreement with the planned nationwide protest scheduled to begin on August 1, urging organizers to reconsider their plans and engage in constructive dialogue with the Federal Government.
He emphasized that President Bola Tinubu’s reforms have begun to produce positive outcomes, and the country’s economy is gradually recovering.
In a press release issued on Tuesday in Abuja by the Ministry of Defence’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Henshaw Ogubike, Badaru reassured the public that President Tinubu’s administration is committed to addressing their needs.
He also highlighted that the reforms implemented by the President have already started to improve the lives of Nigerians, with the first-quarter economic growth in Q1 2024 being the second fastest in the last six years.
“Defence strategy as enshrined in the Renewed Hope Agenda in improving security is yielding results as well. Mr. President is committed to the safety of lives and property through various security interventions.
“There is a serious improvement in security as most of the roads and highways hitherto closed due to insecurity have been opened. The creation of the Livestock Ministry has solved herders and farmers clashes, and many farmers have returned to their farms. Mr President is supporting the farmers and has encouraged state governors to do the same.
“There is massive surrendering of terrorists, and high-profile terrorist kingpins have been arrested,” Abubakar said in the statement.
He observed that the establishment of a tool to assist students through the implementation of the Nigerian Student Loan Scheme was launched to enhance access to higher education and alleviate financial burdens on students.
He added that the substantial increase in funding for infrastructure such as roads, railways, energy, and irrigation (dams and channels) through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Development Fund, RHIDF, is a key advantage of the current administration.
He also mentioned that the innovation of selling crude oil to local refining companies in naira and the enactment of the National Minimum Wage Act, aimed at improving the welfare of Nigerian workers, are all measures to stabilize the economy.
Furthermore, he highlighted the autonomy granted to local governments as a development that will reinforce governance at the grassroots level.
In his statement, Abubakar also emphasized that various forms of assistance have been provided to state governments to help Nigerians lead better lives, in addition to social security intervention for states (sub-nationals), post-subsidy removal presidential grant and loans scheme, Nigerian Youth Investment Fund, NYIF, 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT), and Skilled-Up Artisan Initiative, SUPA.
“Since the launch of the Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, initiative by Mr President, it is expected that the cost of transportation will reduce by as much as 50 per cent, and this has unlocked the nation’s huge potential in the gas sector.
“CNG conversion centres are growing exponentially across the country, thereby creating job opportunities,” the statement added.
