The Federal Government has called on Nigerians to live and thrive in unity and hope, while assured that, despite the temporary challenges and setbacks that the country is facing from time to time, a glorious dawn is just around the corner.
Information and National Orientation Minister who disclosed this in a statement released on Sunday with the topic: Amidst Challenges, Nigeria Will Forge Ahead, said the FG fully acknowledge the duty and the responsibility of care owes to every Nigerian, across the lines of age, gender, religion, ethnicity, and social class.
According to him, “There is no downplaying the reality of the challenging season that we find ourselves in as a nation: the impact of inflation on personal, household budgets, and the threats to security in parts of the country.
“But that is only part of the story. Just as important are the various bold measures that the Federal Government of Nigeria, under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is taking to decisively confront all of these challenges”, he said.
In the area of security, Idris said all threats are being boldly confronted, adding that the federal government is taking the fight to the criminals’ dens, with promising results, revealed that within the last week, bandits, kidnappers and militants have been neutralized or arrested.
He said the resurgent crisis in Plateau State is indeed highly regrettable, and assured that all perpetrators of violence there, everywhere else in the country, are being brought to book. “Justice will be done, and peace will be restored in all affected communities.
“We salute the gallantry of security and intelligence agencies who are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that we are safe in our homes and on the highways, and that criminals have no breathing space”.
Speaking of the economy, Idris stated that all relevant Ministries and Agencies of Federal Government are working in coordinated fashion, to bring down inflation, stabilize foreign exchange rates, and create a truly enabling environment for business and investment.
He added that the Nigeria that President Tinubu seeks to build is one where no one is left behind. “Impactful interventions are being rolled out, including a Students’ Loan Scheme, a Presidential Initiative to deploy lower-cost CNG mass transit buses to provide alternatives to petrol and diesel, and various low-interest loan schemes for businesses.
According to him, “The CNG interventions will bring down the cost of transportation by more than 50 percent. We urge Nigerians to take advantage of these opportunities as they emerge, as they have been designed for the benefit of all.
“Even as we tackle our challenges with urgency and dedication, it is also necessary to remind all Nigerians of the need to resist all forces and narratives of misinformation and division.
“For example, it is not true that the relocation to Lagos of the Headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), and of certain departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), are political moves aimed at marginalizing a section of the country.
“These allegations are unfounded. Instead, these are pragmatic administrative steps to improve operational efficiency and reduce operating costs”, the Minister said.
Idris urged Nigerians to be especially mindful of persons and groups at home and abroad, who specialize in making false and inciting claims on radio, TV and social media, as well as in peddling altered videos and images for viral dissemination. “We must stand together as one, against these forces that constantly seek to test and break the bonds that hold us”.
He said, “Nigeria belongs to all of us, and the work of building the Nigeria of our dreams is one that must be done by everyone, regardless of our religious faith or ethnic group or geopolitical zone.
“It is for this reason that we have produced the Nigerian National Values Charter (NVC), a documentation of the social contract between Government and the citizens, as one of the ways to restore a national sense of hope, trust and solidarity.
“As part of this focus on earning the trust of Nigerians, the fight against corruption will continue, and will intensify. Determined to ensure that there are no sacred cows, and that public funds are applied wholly for the public good, President Tinubu is providing the anti-corruption agencies with support required to fulfill their mandate.
“We will not succeed at building the Nigeria of our dreams if we insist on focusing only on our challenges and problems, and not the abundant opportunities, positive narratives that we are surrounded by. We recognize the fact that country continues to enjoy genuine enthusiasm for investment from local and foreign investors.
He recalled the opening weeks of 2024, Nigeria’s Stock Market has already put on the global map for the impressive returns being delivered. “The Indian businesses pledged $14 billion in new investment in Nigeria on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in India in September 2023 have since started making good on those pledges.
“Across oil and gas, agriculture, consumer goods, renewable energy, healthcare, ICT and many other fields we are seeing global and local businesses demonstrating unshakable belief in the limitless possibilities that Nigeria embodies.
“The heartwarming exploits of our beloved Super Eagles at the ongoing African Cup of Nations in Cote d’Ivoire are another case in point; a timely reminder that the things that bind us together as one are much deeper than the things that separate and divide us”, the Minister said.