Barely three days after his national broadcast on hardship protests, President Bola Tinubu has again pleaded with Nigerians to be patient with his administration, saying that the country is transitioning from darkness to dawn.
In an official video released by the State House on Wednesday, Tinubu acknowledged the ongoing hardships orchestrated by the removal of the fuel subsidy and the floating of the Naira.
According to the President, Nigerians’ pain was compounded by what he described as an “avoidable lag” between the subsidy removal and his helpful plans for the country.
Pleading with Nigerians to look beyond the present temporary pains, Tinubu said, “Fellow Nigerians, this period may be hard on us and there’s no doubt that it is tough, but I urge you all to look beyond the present temporary pains and aim at the larger picture. All our good and helpful plans are in the works. More importantly, I know that they will work. Sadly, there was an avoidable lag between subsidy removal and these plans coming fully online.
“I plead with you, please have faith in our ability to deliver and our concern for your well-being. We will get out of this turbulence, and due to the measures we have taken, Nigeria will be better equipped and able to take advantage of the future that awaits her.
“For example, we shall fulfil our promise to make education more affordable to all and provide loans to higher education students who may need them. No Nigerian student will have to abandon higher education due to lack of money.
“Our commitment is to promote the greatest good for the greatest number of our people. On principle, we shall never falter. I assure you, my fellow countrymen and women, that we are exiting the darkness to enter a new and glorious dawn. Now, I must get back to work in order to make this vision come true.”
Tinubu further assured that the measures being put in place by his government would get the country out of the lingering economic crisis.
It is instructive to note that the official video marked the second time that Tinubu would addressed Nigerians over the August protests against hardship as the President also made a national broadcast on Sunday.
Incidentally, the hardship protests turned violent in some Northern states, including Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna, Gombe and Plateau, where some demonstrators were seen waving Russian flags, calling for a regime change and military takeover.
But there was no protest in the entire South East and some states in the South-South while the South West states of Lagos, Oyo and Osun witnessed peaceful conduct by the protesters.
Watch video below:
https://x.com/officialabat/status/1821191903892889715?s=48&t=0ecOqNYG1PcIm1pngJYudA
