Senate President Godswill Akpabio says President Bola Tinubu
has repositioned Nigeria’s economy through reforms implemented since assuming
office in 2023.
Akpabio spoke on Thursday after leading principal officers
of the senate on an Eid-el-Kabir homage to Tinubu at his Lagos residence.
The senate president said the delegation visited the
president to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir with him and pray for the country.
“We came here to felicitate with the president and also wish
him Barka da Sallah on this Eid-el-Kabir and to also pray for him for
continuous good health and wisdom and pray for our nation, for those in
captivity to be released, and for peace to reign in Nigeria,” he said.
Akpabio commended Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying they had
helped to stabilise the country.
“We also appreciated Mr President for his reforms, which
have done a lot to reposition Nigeria on the trajectory of growth,” he said.
The senate president said the administration inherited an
economy weakened by unsustainable fiscal practices.
“It’s very difficult to grow a non-oil economy because what
we met on the ground, we had what they call future sales, and we’re not making
money on the crude oil that we produce because of future sales,” he said.
“And then we also had a situation of continuous expenses in
the country as a result of what they call ways and means, which, in layman’s
language, was expending money and printing money without earning income.”
Akpabio said Tinubu ended multiple exchange rates, fuel
subsidies, and fuel scarcity.
“He has stopped all that. We met multiple exchange rates. He
has stopped all that. We met a situation of false subsidies. He has stopped all
that,” he said.
“We also appreciate the fact that in the last three years,
he has brought the very long queues that people used to experience in filling
stations to an end.”
‘NATIONAL ASSEMBLY WILL SUPPORT STATE POLICE’
Akpabio said the national assembly would support efforts to
improve security across the country while acknowledging that insecurity remains
a challenge despite improvements recorded by security agencies.
“We can’t do it alone. National assembly will assist him to
ensure that we improve in the area of security,” he said.
He said insurgents now target vulnerable communities because
of increased pressure from security forces.
“What we see now are insurgents going to areas of soft
targets. Going to churches. Going to mosques,” he said.
“There is no part of Nigeria today that you have the flag of
any insurgents, whether Boko Haram, being hoisted.”
Akpabio said the senate is considering frameworks for state
policing.
“We believe that working with him, the national assembly can
come up with a solution, a framework that will enable the states to also
partake in securing the lives and properties of the citizens, and that is in
the area of the state police,” he said.
He said the proposed arrangement would include a national
commission to regulate state police operations.
“We are looking at ways of creating a positive and not a
negative state police and something that can have a national state police
commission that will regulate the conduct of state policing and also promotion,
training and all,” he said.
‘INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WILL TRANSFORM ECONOMY’
Akpabio said infrastructure projects being undertaken by the
administration would stimulate economic growth, citing the Lagos-Calabar
coastal highway and the Lagos-Badagry-Sokoto road projects.
“The coastal road is one area that he will be remembered
for. And then of course the Lagos-Badagry-Sokoto has about 74 dams that will
revolutionise the agricultural sector in the country,” he said.
The senate president said the national assembly is also
considering increasing funding for policing infrastructure through the police
trust fund.
“Police in the country itself is a major issue that the
National Assembly is looking at,” he said.
“You are actually looking at from 0.5 percent to 1 percent
of revenue from the production account going into the police trust fund. That
will be for police infrastructure and equipment.”
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