News
Tinubu to critics: I’m as clean as whistle *You’re too blind to track subsidy savings
President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday, lashed back at critics questioning where savings from removal of subsidy are being deployed, saying much of it has been redirected to the critical areas of the Nigerian economy.
Critics, including Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), had often complained that Nigerians were not seeing the effect of the measure announced by the President on his first day of taking over governance on May 29, 2023, which saw price of petrol jumping astronomically with direct impact on prices of commodities and services across the country.
But Tinubu, maintained on Tuesday, at a two-day interactive session on government-citizens’ engagement organised by the Sir Ahmadu Bello Memorial Foundation in Kaduna the impact were already manifesting in positive terms because the proceeds were well-utilised.
Hear him: “The removal of fuel subsidy, though painful, has been a necessary reform that saved trillions of Naira. The palliative measures plan and interventions through state governments, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) support, and public transportation upgrades are mitigating the impacts. The savings are now being redirected into critical infrastructure and human development, while states are receiving increased allocations for development.”
Tinubu, also defended the profile of his administration in terms of accommodating all Nigerians, saying it would ensure equitable development across all regions of the country, with no area left behind.
While highlighting key achievements under the Renewed Hope Agenda, the President, told his audience how he had handled issues regarding the nation’s economic reforms, education, health, security, infrastructure, and food security.
For instance, he said his administration had implemented bold reforms to stabilise and grow the economy, including unifying the exchange rate and restructuring debt profiles, adding that investments had been made in modernising security equipment and upskilling personnel.
Citing ambitious projects he had embacked on such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the Sokoto-Badagry superhighway, ongoing rail projects (Kano-Maradi, Port Harcourt-Maiduguri), and housing initiatives, the President, also highlighted the Renewed Hope Agenda’s priorities to include reforming the economy for sustained growth, strengthening national security, boosting agriculture for food security, unlocking energy and natural resources, and enhancing infrastructure and transportation.
Also pointing to giant strides in the areas of education, health, and social investment, he also listed accelerating diversification through industrialisation and innovation as well as improving governance for effective service delivery as part of his achievements.
Tinubu, who spoke on Assessing Electoral Promises: Fostering Government-Citizen Engagement for National Development, the theme of the event, described the renewed hope agenda was a pragmatic vision built on pillars of good governance with emphasis on transparency, accountability, participation, responsiveness, equity, rule of law, and inclusivity, going beyond just a campaign slogan.
His words: “The economic reform strategies are designed to create a robust, diversified, and resilient economy. By fostering an environment conducive to investment and innovation, the administration aims to stimulate growth across all sectors, reduce unemployment, and ensure equitable wealth distribution.
“Security is the bedrock of national development. The focus here is on enhancing the capabilities of our security forces, promoting peace and stability, and ensuring that every Nigerian feels safe and protected, no matter where they reside.
“Agriculture holds the key to our nation’s self-sufficiency and economic empowerment.”
According to Tinubu, this is by modernising farming practices, increasing access to finance, and expanding market opportunities for farmers.
“This administration places Nigeria on a path to achieving food security and transforming our country into an agricultural powerhouse. Through reforms, the government is unlocking the potential of Nigeria’s vast natural resources and energy sector.
“Through sustainable management, increased investments, and the adoption of modern technologies, the goal remains to drive economic growth and ensure environmental sustainability.”
“Over 400,000 students in tertiary institutions have so far benefitted from the Students’ Loan Programme, while an estimated N53 billion had been disbursed.”
Highlighting the importance of patience and collective efforts in achieving the agenda’s goals, the President, particularly extolled the virtues of the late Premier of Northern Nigeria, Sir Ahmadu Bello, describing him as a phenomenal being who promoted national cohesion and unity in Nigeria.
Also saluting the courage, sincerity, and patriotism of other leaders such as Chief Solomon Lar, Mallam Adamu Ciroma, Shehu Dan Musa, Abubakar Rimi, Prof. Suleman Kumo, Issac Shaahu, Prof. Jerry Gana, and others, he said Nigeria continued to owe them debt of gratitude.
Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, Governor of Oyo State, on Thursday, finally threw his hats into the ring by declaring his intention to run for president in 2027, with a message – history beckons.
The governor, whose ambition has been a matter of speculations for months now and who had teamed up with forces angling to force President Bola Tinubu, out of power, told a teeming crowd in Ibadan on Thursday that time had come to reset Nigeria.
At a mega-rally to announce the alliance between the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and the Allied Peoples’ Movement, (APM), Makinde, expressed worry over the dwindling fortunes of Nigerians, vowing to engage Nigerians to end the drift.
Hear him: “Without a multi-party system, there is no democracy. Where is our multi-party? Where do we go from here? We have been pushed to the wall.
“They calculated and self-opposition cannot unite but I am here to say that the opposition is the everyday Nigerian. This is the time for all us to ensure Nigeria works for us. This is the time to confront it fears. It is time to engage as citizens and not spectators.
“For the opposition political parties, this is the time to unite and work in unity and give our nation the much reset it needs. The time to reset Nigeria is now. Ibadan is the city of warriors. The first grand alliance is formed. The PDP and APM is formed. This handshake will allow us to field candidates from presidency to state Assembly. And so, I declare my candidacy for office of the president of Nigeria.”
Eyo Ekpe, a professor of cardiothoracic surgery at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH), on Wednesday, gave a detailed account on how operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) manhandled him on Monday.
He told reporters that he was at sea on why he should fall victim to the assault against his person and eventually arrested given that was not right person directly involved in the information the agency sought.
Some operatives of the EFCC who invaded the hospital, had whisked Ekpe away after firing teargas to scare away the workers, patients and visitors to the hospital, following what appeared like a fracas the ensued over what it claimed was a routine duty in the facility.
Ekpe, Deputy Chairman of the hospital’s Medical Advisory Committee (MAC), described how an operative had first entered his office to make inquiries on why the hospital was yet to give a response to an EFCC inquiry over a medical report linked to a suspect facing trial.
He detailed how he briefed the operative that the said response was being prepared and even went ahead to show him the draft of a letter in that regard, which needed to go through the gamut of official endorsement before being released.
Hear him: “The head of that internal medicine department looked at the report and also discovered that the name of the doctor that signed the report is not a member of staff of that department.
“I had prepared prepared a response to the EFCC on Monday, May 11, 2026, based on the findings. When the EFCC operative visited my office the next morning to collect the document, I told him that the response was ready in draft. I even showed him the draft, but told him that the document still needed approval from the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital before it could be officially signed and released.
“He pretended to have accepted that. He left, but later later returned with another armed operative and informed me that I was under arrest. I asked him why. I was not the one that issued the medical report. My name is not on the medical report. The report was not issued from my unit.
“But he said I would get the answer when I get to their office. I then asked him to at least wait for my staff member who I sent on an errand before joining them. But they refused.
“They started pushing me. They dragged me out of the office. Then I began to cry while they were dragging me. They had warned me not to speak. They had taken my phone. My cry as they were dragging me, attracted the workers to the scene, who enquired what was going on, but because they ordered me not to speak, I couldn’t say anything. They had their guns.
The members of staff of the hospital initially blocked them from taking me away. They then made a call. After that I saw many masked and armed men came violently, broke the protector, threatening the people that were around and people ran away.
“They picked some staff that were still by me. they dragged me and other staff, five of us into their van downstairs. By that time they discovered that the gate of the hospital were locked. So, they drove towards the gate and packed and the commotion continued. We were inside the van.
“I was so emotionally and psychologically traumatised that I couldn’t even look out of the vehicle to see what was happening outside. But I know that teargas and live bullets were shot. That’s all I can say for now.”
Joyce Abdulmalik, of the Federal High Court, Abuja, heard on Wednesday, how Zenith Bank raised alarm over the huge transaction in one of its branches by Abubakar Malami, former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice (AGF-MoJ).
The bank said it immediately filed a Suspicious Transaction Report (STR) in respect to the transactions, during its appearance in the ongoing trial of Malami, his wife, and son over allegation of massive looting of funds belonging to the Federal Government during his tenure.
Mashelia Bata, a compliance officer with the bank, who appeared as witness in the case, where Malami, et al, are facing a 16-count charge bordering on alleged money laundering to the tune of N8.7 billion, to which they pleaded not guilty, gave the testimony while being questioned on the bank’s roles in the matter.
Details of the testimony conveyed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), stated how the compliance officer who was cross-examined by Adebayo Adedeji, lawyer to the defendants admitted that the deposits in the account statements complied with the guidelines of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Arguments had stretched when Adedeji, opposed Jibrin Okutepa (SAN), lawyer to the EFCC, who had asked the witness to explain the meaning of a suspicious transaction report, stressing that there was no ambiguity in the term.
However, Okutepa, in response, maintained that section 215(3) of the Evidence Act did not preclude him from re-examining the witness while urging the court to allow the question for proper explanation.
After Abdulmalik, agreed and overruled Adedeji, the witness told the court that banks were required to alert the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) about fund deposits coming in a repetitive pattern, adding: “Any deposition of funds seen in a pattern or repetitive, you must escalate it to the NFIU.”
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