At an Iftar dinner with governors and ministers on Thursday, President Bola Tinubu declared that the hardships plaguing Nigerians are on the decline, calling on citizens to brace themselves for “brighter and brighter” days ahead.
The remarks came during the Ramadan gathering with state governors at the State House in Abuja, where he made a plea for unity and cooperation between the federal and state governments.
Tinubu said at the gathering that there was pressing need to shift focus from political rivalries to the critical task of governance.
“Since we recognize the need to build our nation together, the time for politics is over. It is now time for governance.
“We are of the same family and parents; living in the same house, but sleeping in different rooms. We must cooperate and spread love among each other,” he stated.
Despite the challenges facing the nation, Tinubu said the policies of his administration are yielding positive results.
He declared, “I am glad that the headwinds are almost over. The tunnel is not as dark as when we started. It is going to be brighter and brighter. We must communicate with each other, stick together, and share joy.”
Tinubu also used the occasion to emphasize the significance of the holy month of Ramadan, urging Nigerians to use the period for reflection, prayer, and acts of charity towards others.
In response, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, who is the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Governor of Kwara State, commended the federal government’s distribution of 42,000 tons of grains, underscoring the importance of collaborative efforts between national and state governments in overcoming shared obstacles.
“Wet season farming is almost here, and I want to implore all governors to engage in the farming business, so that we can all appreciate the challenges of ordinary farmers and ensure that we have a bumper harvest at the end of the farming season,” the NGF Chairman said.
Meanwhile, as part of efforts to address challenges facing different sectors of the economy, the Federal Government on Thursday announced plans to provide the sum of N100 billion through consumer credit fund to support the manufacturing sector.
The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Sen. Atiku Bagudu, said this while briefing newsmen on clarifications on the implementation of 2024 Appropriation Act in Abuja.
Bagudu, who noted that the manufacturing sector was facing serious challenges, said that the fund would help to revive the sector.
“Our economy can gain if many people can pay for goods and services over a period of time just as it’s being done around the world. And it will help our manufacturing sector.
“The Consumer Credit is a veritable tool to provide access to goods and services to a lot of Nigerians. A committee is working on this.
“It has not been implemented. The money has not been withdrawn; the fund is a catalytic fund and it’s expected to grow,” he said.
The minister said that the government will also provide N100 billion for the agriculture sector.
Bagudu further stated that the government had equally earmarked N100 billion Energy Transition Fund to support the provision of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) vehicles.
He said that when fuel subsidy was removed, government quickly provided N100 billion to support the provision of CNG vehicles which would consume less gas than fuel.
Bagudu added that a total of N60 billion had also been earmarked as student loan. He said that although N50 billion was captured in the budget, another N10 billion was appropriated in the supplementary budget.
The minister said that the Federal Government had also made provision for the Youth Development Fund and Project Preparation Fund.
Addressing the controversy surrounding the alleged padding of the 2024 budget to the tune of N3.6 trillion, “the National Assembly has the last word when it comes to appropriation. So, they have the right to increase the budget line.
“When people talk about padding, the word has been narrowed to a negative form. Whereas in reality, there can be no appropriation without either addition or subtraction,” he added.