Tinubu’s economic reforms child of necessity to restore Nigeria – Akande

The former pioneer national chairperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bisi Akande, on Thursday, described President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms as a child of necessity tailored to reset Nigeria on the path of greatness and sustainable development as envisaged by the nation’s founding fathers.

He argued that the economic reforms were designed to eradicate bad governance and free Nigeria from the political brigandage and poor leadership of the past. He expressed hope that citizens would soon feel the positive impact.

Mr Akande made this known in his country home, Ila Orangun, Osun State, during the celebration of his 86th birthday.

“Today, I am happy that our great party is working tirelessly to liberate Nigeria and permanently end the bad governance that had plagued the country for years. So, I am fulfilled, and I don’t have any regret whatsoever about anything because APC was formed as a political party to remove the bad governance that Nigerians endured over the years, and the work is ongoing,” Mr Akande said.

“The All Progressives Congress under former President Buhari did eight years, and now under President Bola Tinubu is doing it for the second year. The goal is to correct the bad governance that has been established over the years so that Nigeria can get back on track.

“Nigerians should appreciate, though we are not there yet, and every individual’s pride should be rooted in honesty. We must strive to be honest with our country, avoid fraud, and do things the right way, so Nigeria can move forward.

“President Bola Tinubu’s policy aims to liberate Nigeria from its current challenges and set the nation on a path to prosperity. In a few years, we’ll see the positive impact of his policies,” Mr Akande added.

The former governor of Osun State also emphasised the need to give children proper education to make Nigeria a better place for all in the future, stressing that “allowing them access to quality education is tantamount to bequeathing a brighter future for them and a safer country for all.”

Earlier in his lecture, a mental health practitioner of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomosho, Adeoye Oyewole, called on Nigerians to re-prioritise their needs in the face of the current socioeconomic reality.

Mr Oyewole maintained that the time had come for citizens to prioritise their health and desist from frivolities in the quest to survive beyond the economic challenges in the country.

According to him, “We need to reflect more about things that are very important but not urgent: our health financing, our family, our children, our wife, our own physical health, education of our children; that is the priority.

“We Nigerians have dwelled largely on that quadrant, and that has pushed us into the crisis of life. It has eaten into our life. It has affected our health, mental and physical health. We should stop wasting money on unnecessary ceremonies and unnecessary public shows of affluence, which have no direct correlations to our health,” he advised.

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In their separate remarks, the founding registrar of the National Businesses and Technical Education Board (NABTEB), Olu Aina, and the chairperson of MicCom Golf and Resort, Tunde Ponle, described Mr Akande as a phenomenon worthy of emulation.

Dignitaries at the event include former Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole; former Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed; Pro-Chancellor and Chairperson of the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Siyan Oyeweso; and Director-General of the National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Silas Ali.

Others include former deputy governor of Osun State, Benedict Alabi; the managing director and chief executive officer of Nigeria Inland Waterways Agency (NIWA), Bola Oyebamiji; former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Timothy Owoeye; and Mudasiru Hussain, among others.