President Bola Tinubu says he identifies with the pains Nigerians are going through due to the policies he has implemented since assuming office on May 29, 2023.
In his New Year’s national broadcast on Monday, Tinubu said he was not insensitive to the frustrations of Nigerians, but assured that his administration would remove all the obstacles confronting the nation’s economy and businesses.
In the broadcast, Tinubu insisted that he would continue to work towards a better Nigeria to justify the trust placed in him by electing him into office in February 2023.
“Dear Compatriots, take this from me: the time may be rough and tough, however, our spirit must remain unbowed because tough times never last. We are made for this period, never to flinch, never to falter,” President Tinubu said.
“Over the past seven months of our administration, I have taken some difficult and yet necessary decisions to save our country from fiscal catastrophe.
“Everything I have done in office, every decision I have taken, and every trip I have undertaken outside the shores of our land since I assumed office on May 29, 2023, has been done in the best interest of our country.
“One of those decisions was the removal of fuel subsidy which had become an unsustainable financial burden on our country for more than four decades.
“Another was the removal of the chokehold of a few people on our foreign exchange system that benefited only the rich and the most powerful among us.
“Without doubt, these two decisions brought some discomfort to individuals, families, and businesses.
“I am not oblivious to the expressed and sometimes unexpressed frustrations of my fellow citizens. I know for a fact that some of our compatriots are even asking if this is how our administration wants to renew their hope.
“I am well aware that for some time now the conversations and debates have centred on the rising cost of living, high inflation which is now above 28% and the unacceptable high under-employment rate.
“From the boardrooms at Broad Street in Lagos to the main-streets of Kano and Nembe Creeks in Bayelsa, I hear the groans of Nigerians who work hard every day to provide for themselves and their families.
“The socio-economic challenges of today should energize and rekindle our love and faith in the promise of Nigeria. Our current circumstances should make us resolve to work better for the good of our beloved nation. Our situation should make us resolve that this new year 2024, each and everyone of us will commit to be better citizens,” he stated.