As 2025 beckons, passionate appeal to Nigerians to support President and his programs, Kola Amzat

Nigeria is a prodigiously blessed country, with vast deposits of oil & gas resources in the oceans running into hundreds of billions that could last for eternity.

It’s also instructive that the country oil & gas is one of the finest in the world, making it one of the most sought-after.

The country is unarguably endowed with awesome deposits of about 44 solid mineral resources spread all around the country with reserves in several billions, and more importantly, commercially viable.

Equally, Nigeria is a land boasts of deposit of diverse agricultural produce, all scattered in the nooks and crannies, for populace consumption and export market.

Of course, we can’t over-emphasize the favorable and very predictable weather all years round, a development that make planning in harvest of agricultural produce, as well as strategic planning in infrastructural renewal & developments largely seamless and possible.

Even though, we’ve have our deep-rooted challenges, but, no one should lose sight of the fact that this country is one of those few countries of the world where peace and orderliness reigns supreme.

This writer would therefore be pleased to be educated which of those countries across globe devoid of its own CROSS that their nationals live with day in day out? America, Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and even France? Common!    

Therefore, it’s imperative for all of us, to be very proud and profoundly thankful, that we belong to this sufficiently endowed geographical location.

It’s therefore important we hold our heritage dearly, as well as stoutly defending & protecting its interests with individual might.    

So, continually running down the country and its present leadership would be sacrilegious, despicable, defeatist and largely unpatriotic.  

Continue to cast doubts & aspersions on the president and the diverse programs of government would be counter-productive and largely un-appreciative of the president tremendous efforts to re-fix, re-focus, reposition and re-engineer in all gamut, as encapsulated in on-going reforms.   

More than any successive government in the nation democratic governance, this administration have rolled out many programs and policies within the shortest possible time in its bid to cause turn around in infrastructural and economic developments, as well as socio-political spheres.

As new fiscal year knocks on our door, the onus is on the generality of Nigerians to collaborate and support the administration to ensure that the aims and objectives of the diverse initiatives come to manifestation.

There is Tax Reform Bill transmitted by the president to national assembly for deliberation and eventual passage into law.

The bold and well-articulated fiscal initiative which well-meaning Nigerians and tax practitioners, including the writer, are of strong views would significantly correct the existing imbalance in tax revenue allocations amongst state, further strengthen & entrench progressive tax in the country, improve significantly tax revenue generation with very insignificant or no impact whatsoever on the revenues accruing to the poor & vulnerable, as well as significantly improve the tax administration and management in the country, is presently generating UNDUE and NEEDLESS controversy and animosity.

With all intents and purposes, no patriotic and genuine lover of Project Nigeria, who indeed has studiously and religiously dissected all the sections and subsections of the Tax Reform Bill would go against the passage of the bill into law particularly for its fairness, equity and its objectives to ensure justice to all stakeholders. 

At this juncture, it’s therefore important to reiterate to all stakeholders, particularly our northern country men and women, who are doggedly and stoutly standing in opposition to the bill to have a change of heart. 

There is also Fiscal Autonomy for Local Government Authority Act which the president assented into and diligently followed to Apex Court to secure judgment, in order for the aims and objectives of the bill to come to manifestation, which some governors are making valiant efforts to upturn.

This writer hereby re-emphasize to State Chief Executives that if they refuse to cooperate and align with the president in this respect, they would directly be working against the aims and objectives of the policy, which is to profoundly transform and cause massive turn-around in infrastructural, educational and medical services at the grass roots level through the increased funding of local government administration.

The onus is also on them to have a change of heart, by assisting the president to implement faithfully and studiously the policy for the betterment of all.

The fuel subsidy removal and floating of exchange rate of the domestic currency can’t be over-emphasized.

As much as this writer acknowledged the untold hardship the twin policies has brought onto Nigerians, nonetheless, they’re necessary & desirable policies meant to correct lopsidedness and massive looting of the nation treasury in the past.

While generality of Nigerians were earning their incomes in diligent and sincere manner, few members oil & gas cabal were annoyingly smiling to the banks with hundreds of billions of naira every-month from the proceeds of free several billions from the nation treasury.

Who would allow this balderdash to continue? Not this president, who himself was a big player in the oil & gas sector before venturing into politics!    

Ditto for currency speculators who were making fortunes through hoarding of foreign currency/s, a development that was causing havoc on the nation domestic currency thereby subjecting economy to undue pressure.     

Federal government also have diverse social intervention programs for different cadres of Nigerians-SMEs, market women, farmers, vulnerable etc.

The aims & objectives of the intervention initiatives is for government to reach out to all Nigerians, regardless of their status, and thereby improve the citizenry general well-being.

While government is dutifully playing its part in this respect by empowering diverse stakeholders, its incumbent on the beneficiaries to let government objective come to realization by channeling the funds to projects they are meant.

Meanwhile, even though, the president spoke glowingly about the cabinet ministers during the recently organized presidential media chat, it’s important for the ministers to acknowledge that much is expected of them by Nigerians.

While the president continually pre-occupy himself with how to turn the tide within shortest possible time through his diverse and transformational policies and programs, ministers need to acknowledge that any attempt to derelict in their roles and responsibilities is tantamount to slowing down the resourceful and ever-productive president.

Federal government have and are still committing fortunes running to trillions of naira on security with the aims and objectives to neutralize criminalities in all forms-banditry, insurgence, kidnapping etc.

Even though, we acknowledge that defense ministers and service chiefs have upped their games in recent times, the citizenry still expect them to do more.

Through this, the military chieftains would be helping the president to ensure a conducive environment for the local and foreign investors to invest in the country, improve the economy and cause a multiplier effects in all the gamut.

Finally, it’s important that the 2025 Appropriation Bill will soon be passed into law, assented to by the president and becomes operational.

The Bill generally encompasses vision of the president at least for the coming fiscal year, as well as Medium Term Strategic Initiatives (2025-2027) of the president.

So, it’s incumbent on all relevant stakeholders-NASS leadership and their relevant committees, Chief Executives of Federal MDAs, etc to ensure that they discharge their roles dutifully, responsibly and patriotically so that the president could achieve agenda which the Appropriation is purposed.

As we kick start year 2025 in 48 hours, it’s important we repose trust and confidence in our president, who has shown for umpteenth times that he possesses undoubted capacity, courage, unusual initiatives & creativity and helicopter views to run this wonderful country efficiently and effectively, as well as turning the tide within shortest possible time.

Congratulations to all Nigerians as Year 2025 beckons.                          

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)

Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,

09077509348.