Dele Alake, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, says no civilian administration in Nigeria since independence in 1960 has implemented economic and social reforms as sweeping as those implemented by President Bola Tinubu.
Alake, who is also the spokesperson for the All Progressives
Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, spoke in Abuja on Tuesday at the
unveiling of the party’s 2027–2031 policy manifesto, titled From Reforms to
Prosperity.
He said the manifesto was designed to move the country from
economic stabilisation to industrialisation, improved security, agricultural
expansion and inclusive growth.
“Every political party must articulate its programmes, its
policies, its aspirations, its objectives, the reasons why it wants to be in
government,” Alake said.
“And because we are doing this today underscores the fact
that the APC is the most solid party in Nigeria; it’s the most purposive and
purposeful party and, above all, it’s the most organised party in this country,
as at today.
“Since 1960, till 2023, no civilian administration of this
country had embarked on the massive, comprehensive, purposive, structural
reforms spanning all strata of society, across all sectors and touching every
endeavour of the Nigerian society like the Tinubu administration.”
The ADC campaign council spokesperson challenged critics of
Tinubu’s government to a public debate over his claim, arguing that successive
administrations had avoided difficult decisions because of political
considerations.
Alake said Tinubu understood the potential political
consequences of his economic policies but went ahead with them because he
considered the country’s economic recovery more important than his political
ambitions.
“Regardless of the political consequences, or even the
president’s own political situation and aspirations, he carried out genuine
structural reforms,” he said.
“And that is the kind of person Bola Ahmed Tinubu is. He
does not think of himself; he thinks of the nation, and that is what a
statesman should do.
“Ordinary politicians will think of the next election and
avoid contentious policies that could probably mar their political aspirations.
But not President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, because he puts the nation ahead of
himself.”
He said the president had confronted longstanding economic
challenges despite the immediate hardship and political pressure associated
with the decisions.
Alake cited the removal of the petrol subsidy and the
unification of the foreign exchange market as major steps towards addressing
structural weaknesses in the economy.
He said the subsidy regime had created financial leakages
through smuggling and other practices, putting pressure on public finances.
The minister also said the former multiple exchange rate
system allowed individuals with access to government officials and Central Bank
of Nigeria (CBN) authorities to obtain dollars at official rates and resell
them for profit without contributing to production.
“Some people, as you all know, would sit in their gardens or
backyards without lifting a finger, simply because they had connections with
CBN authorities or top government officials,” he said.
“With just a phone call, they would obtain millions of
dollars at the official rate and, without leaving their seats in their gardens,
send the money to the bureau de change.
“In the twinkle of an eye, they would become billionaires
while sitting in their backyards, making no contribution to production in the
economy to shore up the naira.”
Alake alleged that beneficiaries of the former subsidy and
foreign exchange regimes had been using the media to criticise the Tinubu
administration.
He urged Nigerians to support policy continuity, warning
that abandoning the reform programme midway could undermine the gains already
recorded.
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