The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, has said that Nigeria was on the verge of total economic collapse when President Bola Tinubu took office. According to him, the president’s bold, courageous and visionary leadership saved the country from going under economically. He also acknowledged that the government knows how Nigerians feel and the challenges they are going through due to President Tinubu’s economic reforms, but assured that the government was working “assiduously to meet public expectation.”
He justified the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of foreign exchange rate, stating that the country was “on the verge of total economic collapse” when President Tinubu took office. The APC national chairman’s comments were made while highlighting the progress made so far by the Tinubu administration such as increase in foreign reserves, focus on exports and the implementation of social welfare programmes like the conditional cash transfers and student loans. He reassured Nigerians that their concerns were recognised and being addressed by the administration.
He said: “If fuel subsidy was not removed and forex was not floated, ways and means would have killed the country. “Nigeria was on the verge of total economic collapse when President Tinubu came in. Now, $45 billion of foreign reserve has been attained. Nigeria is becoming productive, doing more exports, meaning that we are improving.”
Yilwatda, who noted that Nigeria was stabilising under the Tinubu administration, urged the media to always rise in defence of popular rule. According to him, the country could no longer fall victim to military dictatorship. The professor of computer engineering maintained that the APC government was focussing on ameliorating the living standards of the poor, stressing that after verification, over six million people had benefited from the conditional cash transfer. He also explained that the government now guarantees free treatment for tuberculosis and snake bite, among others. He praised President Tinubu for the student loan scheme, which allows the children of the poor to have access to tertiary education. He also commended the government for the massive infrastructure uplift across the country.
He pointed out that the factors that drive poverty reside in the states and local governments. The land for agriculture belongs to the state and the water board belongs to the states and local government areas.
He drew attention to the fact that Nigeria now receives more revenue because the revenue-generating agencies are generating more money. He said the government was building schools under the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) and the aviation sector had been repositioned for better performance. In a parley in Lagos, Yilwatda spoke on various issues even as he paid glowing tribute to the founding fathers of the APC, particularly President Tinubu, for his pioneering stabilising roles. He stressed that the opposition lacked such a rallying point.
On the role Tinubu played in APC in 2014/15, the national chairman said: “President Tinubu was the rallying point for the APC. He put in his money and connection at no interest. Everybody called him leader. You can’t find that in the coalition.”
Berating the opposition for lacking cohesion, he said: “Everybody in the coalition is looking for the ticket. This is the difference between the APC and the opposition.
“Asiwaju Tinubu has built the party and everybody sees him as a leader. We have that huge respect for the true and focussed leader, an intelligent leader.”
The sun
