Democracy Day: 7 Major Statements Tinubu Made On June 12

For President Tinubu, the recent harmonization of the retirement age for judicial officers is meant to strengthen the rule of law, which is a critical pillar of democracy.

Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Monday gave his first Democracy Day Speech as President. 

In the broadcast which was about fifteen minutes long, the president spoke briefly about June 12 and its importance of the day.

He went on to also speak about the challenges faced by citizens at this moment in the nation’s history, noting that his administration is committed to diligently fulfilling every component of his electoral pact with the people as enshrined within the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda.

The president also urged Nigerians to rededicate themselves to strengthening the government of free peoples that has been the nation’s guiding light within the past 24 years.

There were several other key things said by the president and below 11 major statements the president made in commemoration of the 2023 Democracy Day.

1. Never take democracy for granted

The president urged Nigerians never to take democracy for granted.

We must forever jealously guard and protect it like a precious jewel. For, a people can never truly appreciate the freedoms and rights democracy guarantees them until they lose it.

We have traversed the dark, thorny path of dictatorship before and those who experienced it can readily testify to the unbridgeable gap between the dignity of freedom and the humiliation and degradation of tyranny. True, rancorous debates, interminable wrangling, ceaseless quarrels, bitter electoral contestations may be perceived by some as unattractive features of democracy. But they also testify to its merit and value.

2. Democracy well and alive

While stating that this year, Nigeria held her seventh in the cycle of elections that have become sacred rituals to her democratic practice in the dispensation since 1999, the president opined that the nation’s democracy is well and alive.

That the polls were intensely contested is in itself positive evidence that democracy is well and alive in our land. It is only natural that even as those who won and experienced victory in the various elections are elated and fulfilled, those who lost are disenchanted and disappointed.

But the beauty of democracy is that those who win today can lose tomorrow and those who lose today will have an opportunity to compete and win in the next round of elections.

ate democracy will no longer be tolerated

Speaking about the election that brought him into power, the president said a level of sportsmanship is expected to be seen in all who seek elective position, in that they may win or lose, but must do so in good spirit.

According to him:

Those who cannot endure and accept the pain of defeat in elections do not deserve the joy of victory when it is their turn to triumph. Above all, those who disagree with the outcome of the elections are taking full advantage of the constitutional provisions to seek redress in court and that is one of the reasons why democracy is still the best form of government invented by man.

For Chief MKO Abiola, the symbol of this day, in whose memory June 12 became a national holiday, democracy is eternal.

It is about rule of law and vibrant judiciary that can be trusted to deliver justice and strengthen institutions. It has become imperative to state here that the unnecessary illegal orders used to truncate or abridge democracy will no longer be tolerated.

4. The reform has just begun

For President Tinubu, the recent harmonization of the retirement age for judicial officers is meant to strengthen the rule of law, which is a critical pillar of democracy.

“The reform has just started,” he buttresses.

The democracy that will yield right dividends to the people who are the shareholders means more than just freedom of choice and right to get people into elective offices.

It means social and economic justice for our people. To the winner of June 12, democracy offers the best chance to fight and eliminate poverty.

Thirty years ago, he christened his campaign manifesto, ‘Farewell to Poverty’ because he was convinced that there is nothing divine about poverty. It is a man-made problem that can be eliminated with clearly thought out social and economic policies.

5. I admit subsidy removal will impose extra burden

According to the president, the free the nation from the shackles of poverty, he had to in his inauguration address on May 29, give effect to the decision taken by his predecessor-in-office to remove the fuel subsidy albatross and free up for collective use the much-needed resources, which had hitherto been pocketed by a few rich.

I admit that the decision will impose extra burden on the masses of our people. I feel your pain. This is one decision we must bear to save our country from going under and take our resources away from the stranglehold of a few unpatriotic elements.

Painfully, I have asked you, my compatriots, to sacrifice a little more for the survival of our country. For your trust and belief in us, I assure you that your sacrifice shall not be in vain.

The government I lead will repay you through massive investment in transportation infrastructure, education, regular power supply, healthcare and other public utilities that will improve the quality of lives.

6. Rededicate yourselves

President Tinubu said that the democracy MKO Abiola died for is one that promotes the welfare of the people over personal interests of the ruling class, and one where the governed can find personal fulfillment and happiness.

He said this is the hope which MKO Abiola ignited throughout the country in 1993, a course to which all Nigerians must remain dedicated.

On this year’s Democracy Day, I enjoin us all to rededicate ourselves to strengthening this form of government of free peoples that has been our guiding light these past 24 years.

In particular, those of us who have been privileged to be elected into public offices at various levels in both the executive and legislative arms of government must recommit ourselves to offering selfless service to the people, and delivering concrete democracy dividends in accordance with our electoral promises.

7. We will be faithful to truth, equity and justice

On his part and that of his administration, Tinubu pledged anew his administration’s commitment to diligently fulfilling every component of its electoral pact with the people – the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda.

We shall be faithful to truth. Faithful to equity. And faithful to justice.

We shall exercise our authority and mandate to govern with fairness, respect for the rule of law, and commitment to always uphold the dignity of all our people.

The president while whishing all Nigerians a happy Democracy Day celebration, prayed that the light of liberty will never be extinguished in the land.

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Gasoline, diesel, kerosene prices up by over P1/liter Tuesday

 

Motorists will have to pay more for petroleum products this week, as oil firms are set to hike pump prices by more than P1 per liter following the rollback implemented last Tuesday.

In separate advisories, Chevron Philippines Inc. (Caltex), Flying V, Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., and Seaoil Philippines Corp. said they will hike prices per liter of gasoline by P1.20, diesel by P1.40, and kerosene

Cleanfuel, Petro Gazz, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc., and PTT Philippines Corp. will implement the same adjustments, excluding kerosene which they do not carry.

The changes will take effect at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 except for Caltex which will adjust prices at 12:01 a.m., and Cleanfuel at 4:01 p.m. the same day.

Other firms have yet to make similar announcements for the week.

Cleanfuel, Petro Gazz, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines Inc., and PTT Philippines Corp. will implement the same adjustments, excluding kerosene which they do not carry.

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UCL: Amount Man City players will be paid for winning Treble revealed

 

Manchester City’s top players will be paid over £2 million in bonuses each, after winning an historic Treble this season.

Pep Guardiola’s side completed the feat by beating Inter Milan 1-0 in the Champions League final on Saturday.

City had already overhauled Arsenal to land the Premier League for a third consecutive year.

They also defeated rivals Manchester United 1-0 in the FA Cup final last weekend.

Mail Sport reports that City’s bonus system is structured on an individual basis, rather than being an agreed amount that is shared among the squad.

Bonuses for winning the league title range from £200,000 to £900,000, while the money on offer for lifting the FA Cup is less.

Leading players including Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland will receive payouts in the region of £1m for delivering a first Champions League trophy for the club.

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Labour Party Reacts to Emefiele’s Suspension, Issues Strong Statement

The leadership of the Labour Party (LP) has reacted to the suspension of the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emeifele, by President Bola Tinubu.

According to the opposition party, Tinubu’s action is vindictive and unconstitutional.

This was disclosed by the acting National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh.

He said the Labour Party is disturbed by the decision of Tinubu to suspend/sack Emefiele without seeking the permission of the National Assembly.

However, he noted that Tinubu has the right to ask the CBN governor to resign; in the same way, Nigerians have the right to ask him or anyone to resign.

He said the president should have done it according to the country’s law.

The LP Spokesman further said:

 “Most Nigerians will not forget in a hurry the famous Naira redesign policy initiated by Emefiele primarily to check vote buying in the last general election.

“A noble policy which a particular candidate then, unfortunately, believed was targeted at him.

“To him, it was a mortal sin which cannot be forgiven and must be punished. Labour Party believes that Emefiele, a fall guy, is paying for his sin"

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How President Tinubu Resisted My Senatorial Ambition – First Lady

ABUJA – The First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, on Saturday at the Valedictory session of the 9th Senate of the National Assembly, disclosed that her husband, President Bola Tinubu, never wanted her to be a Senator.

Senator Oluremi who was the third to speak after the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, and the current Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, had spoken, said that President Tinubu initially frowned at her desire to join the Red Chamber in 2011.

The lawmaker who had been at the Senate for 12 years further revealed that after several persuasions, the former Lagos State governor eventually relented and gave her his support.

Thanking colleagues for their support, She added “My thanks will go to my husband for even giving me support. He gives me advice when I seek it.

He gave me the freedom to be myself and to be able to make contributions necessary to improve the lives of our people, especially our women, youths and children.”

This is as she further explained that “God sustained me for three terms, from 7th Assembly to 9th Assembly. I am still confused about how I have been able to continue the journey because serving the nation takes a lot of sacrifices.

It started with the sacrifice from your homes, your children, even your better half.”

Sen. Tinubu commended the camaraderie atmosphere that existed among legislators, which she said has “over the years, we have made friends, brothers, sisters across our various tribes, ethnicity and religious divide.

“We have the entire Nigerians being represented and we were able to forge ahead and come together when we need to make very good decisions in the overall interest of the nation. We did that as elder statesmen and women.

I did all that is required of every legislator. Motions, bills including those that had been assented to by law.”

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Why I Removed Fuel Subsidy – Tinubu Opens Up During Meeting With Traditional Rulers

President Bola Tinubu has shed more light on his decision to remove fuel subsidy immediately after his government assumed power.

It would be recalled Tinubu had during his inauguration speech on May 29, announced that fuel subsidy is gone, sparking mixed reactions from Nigerians

However, speaking on Friday when he played host to traditional rulers in the country under the aegis of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN), President Tinubu explained that the fuel subsidy regime had become unsustainable as it was being used to feed smugglers and be Father Christmas to neighbouring countries.

He added that fuel subsidy had become an Elephant which was going to bring the country to its knees if it was not removed.

The President’s submission was contained in a statement by the State House Director of Information, Abiodun Oladunjoye.

“I am grateful you are paying attention to what I have been doing. You have paid attention to the subsidy removal. Why should we, in good heart and sense, feed smugglers and be Father Christmas to neighbouring countries, even though they say not every day is Christmas?

“The elephant that was going to bring Nigeria to its knees is the subsidy. A country that cannot pay salaries, and we say we have the potential to encourage ourselves. I think we did the right thing,” he said.

While acknowledging concerns about the need for critical infrastructure in different parts of the country, President Tinubu pledged that any roadblock in the way of the progress of the Nigerian people would be removed by his government.

“The lamentations about the capital projects—where will the money come from if we don’t protect our resources and boundaries? You cannot have development without capital projects,” he added.

President Tinubu also according to the statement, assured the traditional rulers of an open-door policy and his readiness to accept ideas and suggestions on how to move the country forward.

“We are all ears. We are ready to listen at any given time. I promise you an open-door policy; that is how I will go. That open-door policy is for you to call me and send me any concerns you might have at any time.

“We may not have it right 100 per cent of the time, but we must get it right 90 per cent of the time for this country,” he said.

The Country Is In Good Hands

Responding to issues raised by the traditional rulers on challenges facing the country, the President assured them, saying, “worry not because the country is in good hands.”

He added that his administration is very conscious of the expectations of Nigerians and urged the traditional rulers to persuade the people on the good intentions of his government, assuring that fuel prices would still come down.

10th National Assembly Leadership

President Tinubu declared that he is ready to work with any leader the lawmakers of the 10th national assembly choose, stressing that the Nigeria project is paramount to him.

“Nigeria must survive. Nigeria must develop. Nigeria must make progress,” he said.

Security And Youth Employment

On security, the President reiterated his pledge to Nigerians to prioritize the sector until every Nigerian “goes to sleep with their two eyes closed.”

He emphasized that the unity and togetherness of the country cannot be compromised, saying that jobs would be created for the youths of the country.

“We are going to tackle youth unemployment. Only when we have prosperity for the country can we create jobs to employ our youths,” he said.

Sabotage In Niger Delta

The statement further quoted President Tinubu to have promised during the meeting that the sabotage of the nation’s oil resources in the Niger Delta would be tackled. He condemned crude oil theft in the Niger Delta region by a ‘tiny percentage’ of the population, saying it was counterproductive to the economy’s growth.

“We need to tame those involved in this sabotage, and we will work as hard as possible to ensure that the diversity of this country is used for its prosperity, growth and stability.”

“That’s devolution of power, and that should be our contribution to the developmental projects you are looking for, and we will continue in ways that will help our people,” he 

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Why VP’s wife, Nana Shettima, insisted on choice of Police ADC

A trending report on social media has alleged that the vice president’s wife, Hajiya Nana Shettima rejected the female Orderly picked to work with her as a Police Aide De Camp (ADC), stating that she is very beautiful afnd single at the same time.

Another version said that Mrs. Shettima simply opted for the ADC that served her previously while her husband (now Vice President) was governor of Borno State. However, there has been no official statement to debunk the bizarre allegations despite the reactions generated by the story since it broke penultimate week ago.

There is also yet an official correspondence to explain when and how the lady was assigned to the vice president’s wife.

But a security expert in the Presidency has noted that the choice of an Aide De Camp (ADC) to be attached to the office of the First Lady or the Vice President’s wife, respectively, should be only made after inputs have been sought from her directly.

Weighing in on the matter, the source who is versed in security duties for VIPs, told The Guardian that it is within the purview of the Vice President’s wife to choose who becomes her aide.

“She should be accorded the honour to make a choice from the three suitably qualified officers that would be shortlisted for her selection. This is especially as she had indicated her preference to work with her former ADC when she served as the wife of the Borno State Governor for eight years,” he said.

According to the security expert who prefers anonymity, assigning security details or aides to VIPs follows specific procedures that vary across security agencies. He said that it is a process that involves selecting at least three competent personnel and scrutinising their service records. The most suitable candidate is then presented to the VIP for approval, and upon acceptance, the personnel is officially assigned to the individual.

Continuing, he asserted that aside professional competence and other criteria, other issues relating to selecting a personal aide includes but not limited to background checks for suitability to the office by the VIP as the case maybe. He listed other criteria to include personal assessment and acceptance of the aide by the VIP, any other reason the VIP may find desirous of an aide.

“The idea of imposing people on VIPs via whatever guise should not be encouraged. The decision of the wife of the vice president ought to be respected as we pray and look forward to better service from the government,” he added.

He said, the former Borno state First Lady is not new to the corridors of power and has previously worked with an ADC when she served as the governor’s wife for eight years in Borno.

“It is not surprising that the same ADC and security detail who worked with her in Borno as the governor’s wife was present at her inauguration.

“The Shettima family is known for maintaining long-term relationships with their staff and workers, like retaining the security

“The Shettima family is known for maintaining long-term relationships with their staff and workers, like retaining the security details that served the Vice President when he was Governor. Given this track record, it’s unlikely that his wife would act differently, and she has always prioritised following due process in her official dealings, including assigning security personnel to work with her as ADC. It is essential to maintain standard procedures in all cases to avoid any lapses in security. he said.

“This explanation is expected to settle the unnecessary dust raised over the matter, as nothing new or unusual has happened concerning Mrs. Shettima’s choice of an ADC,” he said.

“The Shettima family is known for maintaining long-term relationships with their staff and workers, like retaining the security details that served the Vice President when he was Governor. Given this track record, it’s unlikely that his wife would act differently, and she has always prioritised following due process in her official dealings, including assigning security personnel to work with her as ADC. It is essential to maintain standard procedures in all cases to avoid any lapses in security. he said.

“This explanation is expected to settle the unnecessary dust raised over the matter, as nothing new or unusual has happened concerning Mrs. Shettima’s choice of an ADC,” he said.

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