By Collins Vershima
President Bola Tinubu with his inaugural speech upon his swearing in as the 16th President of Nigeria, on May 29,2023, exclaimed that ‘subsidy is gone. This declaration evoked concerns in varying persuasions and positions about what the Tinubu Presidency has in the offing for Nigerians.
Intersetingly, Barr. Pius Ukeyima Akutah (MON), Head, Central Authority Unit, International Co-operation Department, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, whilst speaking with VC Collins Anyakpa, Host of the ‘Abuja Review’ a political and current affairs program on Kukuruku Radio, 105.9 FM Abuja, disclosed that President Bola Tinubu has been bold and transformative with the policies he is implementing so far.
Pius Akutah, Esq (MON), reiterated that the Tinubu Presidency had hit the ground running with the fuel subsidy removal, a decision he said, was ripe and long overdue for implementation.
The legal luminary decried how funds that should have been channeled into capital projects, infrastructural development,agricultural revolution for food security and other productive sectors of the economy were used for the provision of subsidy to neigh bouring countries.
Akutah said: ‘’Fuel subsidy regime gave luxuries to the classes and denied the masses necessities. It was a clear scenario likened to putting a drop of water into an ocean; that a few marketers benefited from the subsidy regime, some of the licensed filling stations were not dispensing but were beneficiaries of the subsidy regime funds’’
Akutah Esq, the Head, Central Authority Unit, International Co-operation Department, Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, stated that President Tinubu’s decision and timing was best to get Nigeria out of the woods and injustice that came with the subsidy regime, stressing that even the organized labour agreed that Mr. President’s decision was in the best interest of the country.
‘’ This is the best time to remove subsidy. It was a big scam to have Nigeria subsidizing petroleum products for neighbouring countries when it was difficult to know the number of Nigerians that benefited from the fuel subsidy. Tinubu’s decision is best; that capital projects will receive priority with the funds that were previously channeled into the fuel subsisdy regime.
Akutah said ‘’At the removal of fuel subsidy, the Labour Union were planning to embark on an industrial action, but they called it off, having considered that the removal of subsidy was in the best interest of the economy’’
On the President’s N500 Billion request which got a speedy passage and approval from the legislature, he further stated that, again it showed the President’s sensitivity in looking out for palliatives for the indigent ones to cushion the hardship in the face of the removal of the fuel subsidy regime.
Again, on Tinubu’s Presidency Executive orders and another removal on Telecoms charges, Barr. Pius U. Akutah(MON) noted that the Tinubu Presidency knows exactly where the Nigerian foot hurts and as such has come with a disposition to leave impactful foot prints to ameliorate the sufferings of the masses and get Nigeria’s economy out of the woods of a never do well state.
Akutah maintained that, the removal of the Telecoms charges by Tinubu’s Executive orders has taken off the burden from the masses from consuming necessities.
Barr. Akutah commended the Students Loan Bill which was signed into law by President Tinubu, stressing that the Students Loan Act will enable indigent students to have access to education as it is obtainable in other climes. He wondered how the welfare of indigent students had not been on the front burner of previous administrations, save the Tinubu Presidency.
Interestingly,Barr. Pius Ukeyima Akutah Gbongbon(MON) stated that the Tinubu Presidency came with a lot of efficacy with decision making in the governance of Nigeria as the the choice of his appointment of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation,SGF, Sen(Dr).George Akume was best for nation building, considering that Sen. Akume was a first class graduate of the famous West African University of Ibadan; accomplished,as a civil servant who rose to the peak of civil service as a permanent secretary, where he headed Local Government administration.
Akutah added that, Sen. Akume was a Director of Protocol at the Benue State Government House before he became the Executive Gorvernor of Benue State between 1999-2007,after which he became a Senator of the Republic and became the Senate Minority leader in 2011, and was appointed Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs in 2019.
Akutah, reiterated that there would not have been a better preparation for a Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, as Sen(Dr).George Akume was a round peg in round hole.
He also said, Sen. Akume’s appointment as SGF is an indication of President Tinubu’s adroit and midas touch at decision making and taking with governance.
‘’ This singular decision of Sen. Akume’s appointment has balanced the power game in Nigeria amidst the perceived marginalization of the minorities and Christians in the Tinubu Presidency.
Barr.Pius Ukeyima Akutah(MON) maintained that ‘’Nigerians are in for a turnaround, as President Tinubu has proven thus far that he has the capacity to change the narrative and bring into fruition, life to the spirit of his manifestoe, the ‘Renewed Hope’ he is poised to deliver to Nigerians.
