Presidential media chat: revelation of a president firmly in control, by Kola Amzat

In his maiden presidential media chat held in Lagos, the nation commercial nerve centre about a week ago, the president of African giant, Nigeria, the iconic and indefatigable politician, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu profoundly thanked Nigerians in all walks of life for reposing their trust and confidence in him through the mandate entrusted unto him to lead the country as the President, Commander- in-Chief of Armed Forces.

He assured that he would never take the sacred mandate for granted.

During the maiden presidential media chat, widely adjudged to be highly informative, reassuring, educative, direct, as well as indicative of a president completely in control of the affairs of the country, Tinubu graciously appealed to Nigerians, particularly the doubting Thomases, to henceforth resist the temptation of distracting him in effectively and efficiently running the affairs of the country and that the onus is on them and other well-meaning Nigerians to collaborate with him in his sincere and unwavering determination to turn the tide, as he also re-assured, that the nation is indeed very close to prosperity.   

Meanwhile, the president dwelt on a number of key issues-removal of fuel subsidy, tax reforms bill, size of federal cabinet, as well as the insecurity.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces asserted that he’s no regret whatsoever for removing fuel subsidy, an obnoxious policy of the past governments generally believed to have produced emergency billionaires in the oil & gas sector.

To discerning and better-informed minds, fuel subsidy remains the biggest scam in Nigeria annals, orchestrated by the few in the oil & gas sector to loot the nation treasury to blind.

This writer therefore totally disagree with many notable public figures and commentators who were of the views that the president, during the chat should have deployed an ingenious ways to seek the understanding and cooperation on the subsidy removal, considering how badly the policy has impacted on the nation, as well as general well-being of the citizenry.  

To Nigerians who belonged to the above school of thought, there wasn’t any better ways for a credible, sincere, visionary and articulate president who indeed is conscious of the ultimate positive impacts fuel subsidy removal would have on the economy, infrastructural renewal, as well as socio-political sphere, to make his responses during the chat than what former Lagos state governor has done.

The president also declared affirmatively that there is no going back on Tax Reforms Bill, a bold and well-articulated fiscal initiative that 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.

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 not commend and give accolades to the patriotic zeal and statesmanship of the president for his desire to uphold & entrench principles of equity, fairness and justice by transmitting the Bill to the national assembly for the purpose of deliberations and eventual passage into law.  

As I’d in recent times passionately appealed to our northern country men & women, particularly leaders of thoughts, political class and other key figures in the region to have a re-think and soft-pedal on their sworn opposition and undue criticism of the bill, I once again hereby re-emphasize my plea to them as major stakeholders in Nigerian Project to let the Bill be.

The Nigerian illustrious and one of the few most-talked about presidents in African continent also declared, without mincing words during the media chat that the cabinet size of 48-50 men is apt, appropriate and germane against the backdrop of country’s huge size, enormity of nation affairs, and more importantly, the country’s diversity—ethnicity, religion, beliefs & customs, traditions.

During the program, the president posed one striking question to panel of interviewers: that they should identify and single out any of the ministers unfit and irrelevant for his or her assigned office.

Instructively, there was deafening silence!

Even though, this writer is equally of the view that the present cabinet is somehow large and that, a bit of downsize is necessary, nonetheless, no one in his right frame of mind should have any axe to grind with the president on present cabinet size considering the peculiarities of our country, with particular reference to diversity, as well as enormity of nation tasks.

For the avoidance of doubt, this is the largest black nation in the globe with very huge population of more than 225 million largely HETEROGENEOUS in nature. This is not a joke!     

In the same vein, Nigeria is also a country of more than 300 ethnic groups; if permitted, the ethnic groups would want to be individually represented in the government, and even, at the very important level as cabinet minister.

We should also consider the fact that, this is a country with incredibly gifted people with respect to knowledge, intellect, ideas, creativity, people largely imbued with independent state of minds.

Nigerians want to be in government! They want to be at the centre of actions! They want to be among the policy makers!

So, it’s incumbent on all of us to cultivate attitude of commending the president for having the maturity, capacity, discerning mind and fatherly disposition by striking a balance with a view to meeting all expectations, and even, maintaining the cabinet in its present size.

On security, the president of African most populous nation re-emphasized that there is need for comprehensive approach that combines military actions, with social and economic intervention to comprehensively combat the scourge of criminality, insurgence, and banditry across the nation, particularly in the north.

Except Nigerians that have been beclouded by their sense of reasoning and have resolved not to commend any valiant efforts and patriotic move on the part of the president, there is no iota of doubt that Tinubu led federal government have remarkably done well in neutralizing criminality across the country, and even given deadline of Year 2025 to Security Chiefs and Defense Ministers to ensure that curtains are drawn on the scourge of criminality wherever their locations in the country.

Finally, this writer intend to passionately appeal to leadership hierarchy of opposition groups and other disgruntled elements all around the country, that it would be to their credit, honour, and dignity to henceforth cultivate positive disposition of commending unflinching and valiant efforts of the president whenever there is need to do so.

Refusal to heed this advice particularly when those awesome and incredible initiatives are obvious and glaring, even for the blind to see and for the deaf & dumb to hear would always subject them to scorn, ridicule, embarrassment and derision from the citizenry.

There is no dignity in critiquing, when those criticisms are not CONSTRUCTIVE.

For emphasize, the president’s submissions and responses to questions posed during the media chat was informative, illuminating, pragmatic, spot-on, as well as addressing all the issues in governance the way they are.

Therefore, the fruitless attempts of the leaders of opposition to convince Nigerians otherwise, with propaganda and twisting of facts are diversionary, unfortunate, unsportsmanlike, unappreciative of good efforts, unintelligent and have no place in contemporary governance.                  

Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)

Lagos based Financial & Management Consultants,

09077509348.