Nigeria, during her last presidential elections which held on February, 25th 2023, produced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the elected candidate, prior to his inauguration.
While controversies surrounded the president’s victory at the polls, his eventual inauguration on May 29th has however, marked the beginning of a new era in the country.
Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state from 1999 to 2007, faced a plethora of ridicle and criticism from Nigerians home and abroad as many considered his age, health status and alleged involvement in drugs pushing as some of the basis upon which his candidacy should be disqualified from the presidential race.
Fact checking media organizations then saw a need to look for all traceable links to the allegations which arose in the heat of the presidential race.
“January 1992, Tinubu became the subject of a US federal investigation into heroin trafficking and money laundering in Illinois, Chicago. Signed copies of the US court document show bank accounts in Tinubu’s name were linked with drug trafficking and money laundering,” a report by businesday.ng revealed.
Another report by the People’s Gazette explained that:
“The latest certified copies of the court case, obtained on August 10, showed Mr Tinubu and two others named K.O. Tinubu and Alhaji Mogati were involved in banking proceeds of illicit drugs and money laundering with Heritage Bank and Citibank. It was not immediately clear whether or not ‘Alhaji Mogati’ was a misspelling of Alhaja Abibatu Mogaji, Mr Tinubu’s foster mother, who passed on in 2013.
The report added that, “the U.S. government had in July 1993 sought forfeiture of proceeds of narcotics Mr Tinubu was accused of laundering. The matter was resolved in a compromise between the Tinubus and the U.S. authorities, with the Tinubus being asked to keep the money in the Heritage Bank account while the $460,000 in the Citibank account was forfeited.”
However, through thick and thin, Tinubu’s eventual victory and Inauguration on May 29th implies that he has a lot of task ahead of him already.
The most concern by citizens have been whether the new president will be do better than his predecessors or maintain the status quo.
While many believe that only time can tell, Radiojagaban has x-rayed some basic facts about Tinubu’s ideal plans for Nigeria hence, his dogged and relentless efforts to emerge president and Nigeria’s president he is today.
Radiojagaban therefore finds it worthy to open your eyes to the realities of the new government thereby restating Tinubu’s real plans for the country.
It will be in your discretion to tell whether his plans are good enough for Nigeria and her people and if they are not the best for the country. You might want to tell us in the comments section. We’d love to read your thoughts.
As a nation, we have long ago decided to march beyond the dimness of night into the open day of renewed national hope
President Tinubu | May 29th
With the foregoing, below is an outline of Tinubu’s real plans for Nigeria as contained in his inaugural address and spread across various sectors.
SECURITY
Security shall be the top priority of our administration because neither prosperity nor justice can prevail amidst insecurity and violence.
To effectively tackle this menace, we shall reform both our security DOCTRINE and its ARCHITECTURE.
We shall invest more in our security personnel, and this means more than an increase in number. We shall provide, better training, equipment, pay and firepower.
THE ECONOMY
On the economy, we target a higher GDP growth and to significantly reduce unemployment.
We intend to accomplish this by taking the following steps:
First, budgetary reform stimulating the economy without engendering inflation will be instituted.
Second, industrial policy will utilize the full range of fiscal measures to promote domestic manufacturing and lessen import dependency.
Third, electricity will become more accessible and affordable to businesses and homes alike. Power generation should nearly double and transmission and distribution networks improved. We will encourage states to develop local sources as well.
I have a message for our investors, local and foreign: our government shall review all their complaints about multiple taxations and various anti-investment inhibitions.
We shall ensure that investors and foreign businesses repatriate their hard-earned dividends and profits home.
JOBS
My administration must create meaningful opportunities for our youth. We shall honour our campaign commitment of one million new jobs in the digital economy.
Our government also shall work with the National Assembly to fashion an omnibus Jobs and Prosperity bill. This bill will give our administration the policy space to embark on labour-intensive infrastructural improvements, encourage light industry and provide improved social services for the poor, elderly and vulnerable.
AGRICULTURE
Rural incomes shall be secured by commodity exchange boards guaranteeing minimal prices for certain crops and animal products. A nationwide programme for storage and other facilities to reduce spoilage and waste will be undertaken.
Agricultural hubs will be created throughout the nation to increase production and engage in value-added processing. The livestock sector will be introduced to best modern practices and steps taken to minimize the perennial conflict over land and water resources in this sector.
Through these actions, food shall be made more abundant yet less costly. Farmers shall earn more while the average Nigerian pays less.
INFRASTRUCTURE
We shall continue the efforts of the Buhari administration on infrastructure. Progress toward national networks of roads, rail and ports shall get priority attention.
FUEL SUBSIDY
We commend the decision of the outgoing administration in phasing out the petrol subsidy regime which has increasingly favoured the rich more than the poor. Subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources. We shall instead re-channel the funds into better investment in public infrastructure, education, health care and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions.
MONETARY POLICY
Monetary policy needs a thorough house cleaning. The Central Bank must work towards a unified exchange rate. This will direct funds away from arbitrage into meaningful investment in the plant, equipment and jobs that power the real economy.
Interest rates need to be reduced to increase investment and consumer purchasing in ways that sustain the economy at a higher level.
Whatever merits it had in concept, the currency swap was too harshly applied by the CBN given the number of unbanked Nigerians. The policy shall be reviewed. In the meantime, my administration will treat both currencies as legal tender.
FOREIGN POLICY
Given the world in which we reside, please permit a few comments regarding foreign policy.
The crisis in Sudan and the turn from democracy by several nations in our immediate neighbourhood are of pressing concern.
As such, my primary foreign policy objective must be the peace and stability of the West African sub-region and the African continent. We shall work with ECOWAS, the AU and willing partners in the international community to end extant conflicts and to resolve new ones.
As we contain threats to peace, we shall also retool our foreign policy to more actively lead the regional and continental quest for collective prosperity.
In this spirit, I ask you to join me in making Nigeria a more perfect nation and democracy such that the Nigerian ideal becomes and forever remains the Nigerian reality.
With full confidence in our ability, I declare that these things are within our proximate reach because my name is Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and I am the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
May God bless you and May He bless our beloved land.
READ>> “This is the proudest day of my life”- President BAT
Over the years, Nigerian politicians promise heaven on Earth. But what has been the outcome? Has there been any changes? I just hope his government helps this nation because the way it has started with this hike in fuel price, it doesn’t seem nice at all.
We hail INEC president o!