“In the last 40 years, some very few people have been cornering our commonwealth, calling it subsidy”
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Monday, said Nigeria is on the verge of economic recovery and prosperity following pains from subsidy removal.
The President lamented past decades of waste and theft of public resources by a few people under the appalling subsidy regime.
He is confident that the pains of subsidy removal and harsh economic conditions will soon vanish and become a thing of the past.
The President added that Nigerians will savour improved public services and infrastructural development this year.
Tinubu spoke at the Dan Anyiam Stadium, Owerri, capital of Imo State, where eminent Nigerians converged for the second-term swearing-in of Governor Hope Uzodimma, and his deputy, Lady Ihuoma Ekomaru.
The oath of office was administered to them by the Chief Judge, Justice Theresa Chukwuemeka-Chikeka
The swearing-in ceremony was witnessed by Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin; House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas; his deputy Benjamin Kalu, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
President Tinubu and Obasanjo, who opposed his presidential bid, met for the first time since he assumed the reins on May 29, last year.
Sitting between them while they exchanged pleasantries was Akpabio.
Other dignitaries at the ceremony include Governors Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Alex Otti (Abia), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Rev. Ft Hyacinth Alia (Benue), Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Francis Nwifuru (Ebonyi), Nasir Idris (Kebbi), Ahmad Sokoto (Sokoto) and the National Chairman of the ruling APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje.
Also at the ceremony were the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Doris Uzoka-Anite; Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji; former Imo State Governors Rochas Okorocha and Ikedi Ohakim; Senator Uche Ekwunife, Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi V; Jaja of Opobo; Ooni of Ife Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, Ojaja II; Obi of Onitsha Igwe Nnaemeka Achebe; Chairman Traditional Rulers Council, Southeast, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, and Ohanaeze Ndigbo President General Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu.
The President, who arrived at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport at 1:19 pm, inaugurated the 10-kilometer Bola Tinubu Drive at the airport amid cheers from dignitaries.
Promising that post-subsidy pains would soon end, he said: “I stand before you to say you have gone through twists and turns of democracy. You have been through some aspects of hard decisions.
“Each time I watch the news and see one pain or the other associated with the removal of subsidy, just remember that among you, your families, are pregnant people.
“The day of birth is the day of pain. You go through the labour pain, but when you see or hear the voice of the baby, your pains are gone and you are relieved.
“In the last 40 years, some very few people have been cornering our commonwealth, calling it subsidy.
“I call it wastefulness and pilfering. But right now, we are going through the pain, we are sharing that pain.”
President Tinubu added: ”Today, we are inaugurating a man’s second term, a renewed hope and that is why I am here, to guarantee you that hope, that things are looking up, things are getting better and it will get greater and better for the common good of the Nigerian public.
“We just need to work hard, be more patient, persevere and have consistency in governance.”
The President said his programmes in the areas of education, health and security would soon begin to yield positive results.
