PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has assured that his administration will implement a brand new nationwide residing wage for staff within the new yr as in response to him, it’s the morally and politically proper factor to do.
He made the declaration in his New 12 months broadcast to the nation on Monday the place he acknowledged that Nigerians are going by way of hardship due to the current financial scenario.
The president assured that he’s made for this era, noting that residents ought to due to this fact not let their spirits be bowed.
Talking on the provisions of the 2024 price range, he additionally pledged: “We are going to work diligently to ensure each Nigerian feels the affect of their authorities. The financial aspirations and the fabric well-being of the poor, essentially the most weak and the working individuals shall not be uncared for.
“It’s on this spirit that we’re going to implement a brand new nationwide residing wage for our industrious staff this new yr. It isn’t solely good economics to do that, it is usually a morally and politically right factor to do. I took an oath to serve this nation and provides my greatest always.”
He mentioned that his authorities, on this new yr 2024 and past, will work to offer each Nigerian equal alternative to attempt and to thrive.
Whereas harping on his administration’s recognition of the truth that no significant financial transformation can occur with out regular electrical energy provide, he additionally spoke of some particular initiatives it can ship within the yr.
He added: “In 2024, we’re shifting a step additional in our quest to restart native refining of petroleum merchandise with Port Harcourt Refinery, and the Dangote Refinery which shall absolutely come on stream.
“To make sure fixed meals provide, safety and affordability, we are going to step up our plan to domesticate 500,000 hectares of farmlands throughout the nation to develop maize, rice, wheat, millet and different staple crops. We launched the dry season farming with 120,000 hectares of land in Jigawa State final November underneath our Nationwide Wheat Improvement Programme.
“On this new yr, we are going to race in opposition to time to make sure all of the fiscal and tax insurance policies reforms we have to put in place are codified and simplified to make sure the enterprise setting doesn’t destroy worth. On each overseas journey I’ve launched into, my message to traders and different enterprise individuals has been the identical. Nigeria is prepared and open for enterprise.
“I’ll combat each impediment that impedes enterprise competitiveness in Nigeria and I cannot hesitate to take away any clog hindering our path to creating Nigeria a vacation spot of selection for native and overseas investments.”
Talking additional on the arduous financial scenario within the nation, Tinubu mentioned that he’s conscious of all of the talks about rising price of residing, inflation and unacceptably excessive under-employment however robust instances don’t final.
As an alternative, Tinubu pleaded that the current socio-economic challenges ought to energize and rekindle love and religion for Nigeria.
He mentioned: “I’m effectively conscious that for a while now the conversations and debates have centred on the rising price of residing, excessive inflation which is now above 28% and the unacceptable excessive under-employment fee. From the boardrooms at Broad Road in Lagos to the main-streets of Kano and Nembe Creeks in Bayelsa, I hear the groans of Nigerians who work arduous every single day to offer for themselves and their households.
“I’m not oblivious to the expressed and generally unexpressed frustrations of my fellow residents. I do know for a incontrovertible fact that a few of our compatriots are even asking if that is how our administration needs to resume their hope.”
The president added: “Expensive Compatriots, take this from me: the time could also be tough and hard, nevertheless, our spirit should stay unbowed as a result of robust instances by no means final. We’re made for this era, by no means to flinch, by no means to falter.
“The socio-economic challenges of right now ought to energize and rekindle our love and religion within the promise of Nigeria. Our present circumstances ought to make us resolve to work higher for the great of our beloved nation. Our scenario ought to make us resolve that this new yr 2024, every and everybody of us will decide to be higher residents.”
Nigeria President defined that all the things he has finished since assuming workplace has been in the most effective curiosity of Nigeria.
He added: “The whole lot I’ve finished in workplace, each choice I’ve taken and each journey I’ve undertaken outdoors the shores of our land, since I assumed workplace on 29 Could 2023, have been finished in the most effective curiosity of our nation.
“Over the previous seven months of our administration, I’ve taken some troublesome and but obligatory choices to save lots of our nation from fiscal disaster. A type of choices was the removing of gas subsidy which had grow to be an unsustainable monetary burden on our nation for greater than 4 a long time.
“One other was the removing of the chokehold of few individuals on our overseas alternate system that benefited solely the wealthy and essentially the most highly effective amongst us. Doubtless, these two choices introduced some discomfort to people, households and companies.”
In accordance with the president, despite the fact that the previous yr was a really difficult one, it was eventful in so some ways.
He recalled that it was a transition yr that noticed a peaceable, orderly and profitable switch of energy from one administration to a different, marking one more exceptional step within the nation’s 24 years of unbroken democracy.
“It was a yr, you the gracious individuals of this blessed nation, entrusted your religion in me with a transparent mandate to make our nation higher, to revamp our financial system, restore safety inside our borders, revitalize our floundering industrial sector, increase agricultural manufacturing, improve nationwide productiveness and set our nation on an irreversible path in the direction of nationwide greatness that we and future generations will endlessly be happy with.
“The duty of constructing a greater nation and ensuring we’ve a Nigeria society that cares for all her residents is the explanation I ran to grow to be your President. It was the core of my Renewed Hope marketing campaign message on the premise of which you voted me as president,” he said.
He knowledgeable that his administration had labored silently to free captives from abductors, including: “Whereas we will’t beat our chest but that we had solved all the safety issues, we’re working arduous to make sure that all of us have peace of thoughts in our houses, locations of labor and on the roads.”
Nigeria President promised that having laid the groundwork of our financial restoration plans throughout the final seven months of 2023, his administration is now poised to speed up the tempo of its service supply throughout sectors.
He spoke of latest initiatives to ship a dependable provide of electrical energy to houses and companies underneath the Presidential Energy Initiative which started in 2018, noting that different energy set up initiatives to strengthen the reliability of our transmission strains and optimize the integrity of the Nationwide grid are ongoing throughout the nation.
Tinubu urged residents to contribute their quota to the event of the nation, saying: Persevering with, “For the brand new yr to yield all its good advantages to us as people and collectively as a individuals we should be ready to play our half. The job of constructing a affluent nation will not be the job of the President, Governors, Ministers, Lawmakers and authorities officers alone.
“Our destinies are linked as members of this family of Nigeria. Our language, creed, ethnicity and non secular beliefs even when they aren’t similar ought to by no means make us work at cross functions.
“On this new yr, allow us to resolve that as joint-heirs to the Nigerian Commonwealth, we are going to work for the peace, progress and stability of our nation.”
The president appealed to his political opponents to place the 2023 elections behind them and cooperate together with his administration for the sake of the nation.
“I lengthen this name to my political opponents within the final election. Election is over. It’s time for all of us to work collectively for the sake of our nation. We should let the sunshine every of us carries – women and men, younger and outdated – shine vibrant and brighter to light up our path to a wonderful daybreak,” he declared.
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