The National body of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Vanguard (BAT), has called on all Nigerians to avoid pessimism as the government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu commemorated one year in office. The BAT Vanguard emphasized the importance of all Nigerians providing patriotic support towards the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda for the nation’s progress.
According to Hon. Sola Olofin, the National Convener of Bola Ahmed Tinubu Vanguard (BAT Vanguard), who led the World press conference in Abuja on Friday, the group highlighted the numerous accomplishments of the current administration. They urged Nigerians to unite with Tinubu’s government during this period and emphasized that unity is crucial in achieving progress.
Olofin, while introducing his group’s members to stakeholders at the press conference, encouraged Nigerians and members of BAT Vanguard nationwide to remain committed in their support for Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the present government’s ongoing progress.
BAT Vanguard presented Tinubu’s achievements in the post-one-year administration and acknowledged the progress made under the Renewed Hope Agenda. They also recognized various accomplishments in economic reforms, infrastructure development, aviation, agriculture, social welfare, education, health, and FCT development by the Tinubu administration. The group praised its members for their dedication to supporting the current administration’s agenda.
According to BAT Vanguard, “Today marks another great day for us at Bola Ahmed Tinubu Vanguard (BAT Vanguard), to gather and present our assessments of the socio-political events that have taken place under the present administration under the able leadership of our Grand Patron and the Political Godfather of our group- BAT Vanguard, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR.
“We are here to re-echo the progress made under the Renewed Hope Agenda. No doubt the Tinubu administration has made progress in areas such as economic reforms, Infrastructure development, aviation, agriculture, commendable social welfare, education, health, and FCT development, just to mention but a few.” BAT Vanguard opined.
“We encouraged our members, who have been so committed to the Asiwaju struggle, to be free to express their concerns and make positive contributions on the way forward, as regards commenting one’s opinions by rating the performance of our government.
“For instance, under the Tinubu government, in agriculture government has increased the supply of subsidized fertilizer, supply of farm inputs such as seedlings and implements, and expansion of investment in agricultural irrigation to increase food production.
“These efforts by the government have been on the increase to ensure food security.
“These feelers and ratings that we have gathered at different support-group platforms of our members have empowered us to glean opinions and sift them about the government; just as BAT Vanguard has continued to pivot and pioneer others. But then, suffice it to mention here that the experience that followed after weighing the responses of members about the state of the nation has been a mixed bag; an outpouring of naysayers, an amalgam of the hopeful and less hopeful.” BAT Vanguard stressed.
The group further expressed empathy concerning multifaceted challenges inherited by the Tinubu Administration, likewise the toil it has on the generality of Nigerians. While reiterating notable achievements of Asiwaju Tinubu’s one year in office, BAT Vanguard advises Nigerians that bad time don’t last forever, and said only in unity of purpose with the reform agenda of Tinubu’s government would these challenges be defeated.
The Vanguard speaks:
“Notwithstanding, we still see reasons with the despondent and less hopeful, and as well tend to Identify with their position, more especially as Mr President had repeatedly acknowledged the challenging time, and has continued to plead for more patience as we are already exiting this surgical theatre economically.
“With the ongoing reform to stabilize the economy, the gradual withdrawal of the unsustainable payments, and the unification of the FOREX market, redirecting funds to critical sectors like healthcare, education, and infrastructure these measures will reduce importation by 50% and boost investor confidence, thereby making the Nigerian Stock Exchange the best-performing market.
“The BAT Vanguard has resolved to join Mr President in this regard as Nigerians are about seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Equally, President Tinubu has prioritized national security, culminating in massive investments in equipping the nation’s security forces.
“Over 4,600 hostages have been freed, more than 9,300 hostiles neutralized, and over 7,000 terrorists and bandits arrested. And establishing the N50 billion Pulako Initiative and annually recruiting.
“30,000 new police personnel further show the administration’s commitment to a safer Nigeria
“A year ago, Mr President hit the ground running and took tough yet patriotic decisions to reduce government expenditures on subvention and recurrent matters. This jolted Nigerians but provided another leap into a pathway to economic recovery. Now, assessing the Tinubu government in the last year, it has been a series of reforms and novel transformations; even as we await the impacts to trickle down soon.
“Not long after, President Tinubu established a Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reform Committee aimed at reforming the tax system and reducing the tax burden on Nigerians. Mr President has pursued direct investments, enhanced international partnerships, and gainfully marketed Nigeria’s vast opportunities, thereby attracting investors to bring in more than $30 billion into key sectors of the nation’s economy.
“Then one thing has remained obvious: an uncommon determination by President Tinubu and his team to fix the Nigerian economy, and hopefully revisit the erstwhile practicable and cost-effective methods deployed to administer Nigeria, especially by our forbearers.
“All efforts are now focused on reducing the cost of governance while expanding where necessary. Now, the citizens are adequately mobilized to become productive and economically covered.
“Again, for the want of time, I will be concluding here with a strong belief that the achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his first one-year in office are massive and detailed in different journals, booklets, and newspapers, including e-publications. Therefore on behalf of the BAT Vanguard both home and abroad, we hereby approve the Tinubu Government as Good; with the hope that things will become better soon.
“Let me re-emphasize that this very position that we have taken to rate and pass the government is not unconnected with our resolve to contribute to the development of Nigeria. Hence, we earnestly request that the nest phase of another governance cycle (this year) should be expanded adequately to cover all who seek to contribute their quotas in the development of Nigeria through political appointments and due recognition.” It stressed.
The group therefore calls on the President to identify with loyal and energetic members of its group in his appointments, saying its unflinching loyalty and support for the Renewed Agenda of Tinubu remains intact and unyielding.
“We appeal that Mr President makes opportunities available for our energetic and loyal members to be carried along to serve Nigeria. While we anticipate a positive response to our request from Mr President, we are equally rededicating our love and unalloyed commitment to remain loyal and duty-bound to support and serve President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the government of Nigeria respectively God bless Mr President”. BAT Vanguard stressed.
Meanwhile, fielding questions from the media, if at all the achievements attributed to the government reflect the lives of the common man on the street, in his one year in office, the National Convener, BAT Vanguard, Sola Olofin was quick to dispel such notion, says Tinubu government meant well for the people if only Nigerians can be patient given the plethora of challenges Tinubu met on ground.
He speaks:
“I can tell you authoritatively that Mr President is so passionate about the Nigerian masses and putting everything in motion to ensure that the current hardship is subdued, irrespective of numerous challenges inherited by the Tinub administration.
“For example, presently, Mr President is embarking on Agricultural development. In the next month or so, every state to engage in Agricultural produce, I believe that when people can produce what they can eat in terms of food consumption, in turn, hardship will be reduced due to surplus.
“Also, the President has ensured that the embargo has been lifted on food items to be imported into the country which are parts of a measure to ameliorate the sufferings among the masses.
“At BAT Vanguard, we are just appealing to the people to be patient, and let’s see the result of the moves materialize,” Olofin said.
On the expectation of BAT Vanguard from the Tinubu administration in three years, Olofin continues: “President Tinubu is presently working to ensure that the economy is in better condition, and I will also advise that the president should concentrate more on what is doing at the moment, given that this is germinating period, and by the time he clocks two years in office, we would be having harvest period God’s grace.
“He also focused on infrastructure; we can see the ongoing coastal rail project, including railway stations that are already kick-starting. We also saw the Lagos to Kano Railway projected for January 2025, to commence. This is a very laudable development by Mr President.
“If we have more rail roads across, we shall be able to transport more goods across the country at affordable transportation prices, which will advertently reflect on the price of the goods in the market. The president should not be distracted but focus on the laudable projects he is doing.” The BAT Convener said.
Corroborating the Convener, the National Publicity Secretary, and Comrade Dare Balogun blamed most state governors for ineptitude and lacking initiatives to add value to the efforts at the federal level.
“Not any other Presidents have done more than what Tinubu has achieved in one year, but, unfortunately, most of these governors are not doing what is expected of them.
“We run a federating state and for example, in Delta state, one thousand tractors were launched by that government for mechanized farming, and if all states follow this direction, we will not only be able to feed ourselves, but our export in agriculture will also earns the nation’s foreign currency to boosts national GDP, and help ease the naira of undue pressure it is going through due to excessive importation of goods.
“However, in as much as we intend to look in the direction of the federal government alone, which has done much in one year and shall continue to do more, I can assure you that things will sure get better; but our attention should also be focused on the state governors who receives more money at the moment from the Tinubu’s government compares,” Balogun added.
Speaking on the responsibility of the citizenry and roles expected of them in the economic recovery, National Officer, BAT Vanguard, Dr O’Diakpo Obire added that governance is a responsibility of everybody, not just those who run the affairs of the government, “Even citizens; we also have our responsibilities in whatever we are doing.
“Talking about correcting and solving economic problems, most times we look at things from the surface meanwhile there are deeper situations we ignore to solve these myriads of problems.
“One of them is issues with governors as my colleague the PRO has said. Even the citizens must stop the attitude of inflating prices of goods and stealing from situations on the ground, which is not at indices of our Economy. These people create artificial increments or artificial inflation that are affecting all of us at the moment due to some traders’ greedy and heartless dispositions towards fellow human beings.
“So we need to also support the government as much as the government is also doing all the best it can do to subdue the situation, citizens also need to do better.” He added.
On whether the N62,000 is enough for the Nigerian workers in the face of the current economic situation, and how the BAT Vanguard can advise the President over the faceoff with the Nigerian Labour Congress; the BAT Vanguard noted that “Minimum Wage has always brought untoward Hardship to the people than they were from the time being, this is because the moment minimum wage increases, it causes an artificial increase in general price, it is natural.
“However, Labour is fighting a good course, but there are more areas that Labour should be more focused on when it comes to making lives easy for Nigerian workers, which is the transportation of goods and services.
“However, the federal government is doing everything possible, to see that we have the transportation of goods and services come down. This is where we expect Labour to put more of their pressure.
“You promise us CNG Buses, where are they? You promised us refineries are going to work, where are the refineries? The government now has reasons to explain to Nigerians why things are not working. These are some of the questions Labour is supposed to be pressuring, not minimum wage.
“If these are not taken care of, when the minimum wage increases, the prices will also go up.
On the marketing board to address general price increase, “Government can solve this problem which also has to do with transport of goods and service.
Once the government can tackle this aspect, it will now be easier for the pricing board to effectively do their job.
Adding value to the comments, the National Secretary of the Association, Onyeche Lawani eulogizes President Tinubu’s pragmatic approach to governance, saying Nigeria should give the president more time to prove his worth.
“We have a president who cares and no doubt about these facts. We know he has achieved a lot within the space of one year in office. Let us exercise a little more patience while praying for the betterment of our nation under the present administration.” Onyeche Lawani said.
