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From: Scholastica Hir, Makurdi; Tony John, Port Harcourt ; Paul Osuyi, Asaba; Noah Ebije, Kaduna and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Supreme Court last week validated the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. And, according to many Nigerians, with no more legal distractions for the president, it is time for him to work hard at tackling the economic challenges facing the nation.
In different chats with Saturday Sun, Nigerians from across the country offered pieces of advice to the president on things he could do to stem the tide of economic and financial adversities facing the vast majority of his fellow citizens.
The president should solve the forex problem – James Bumkeng, civil servant
I will like the President to look at the issue of the rise in dollar. As soon as that is looked into, every other problem in this country will get solved. Because as the dollar is rising every day, the cost of fuel, cost of living and everything will be rising.
Tinubu should address insecurity – Caroline Agah, civil servant
The President should address insecurity. I think that there is no need assigning security aides or policemen to guard one big man or a politician, while our communities are left without any security. Our Benue people cannot go to the farm or stream without being killed.
The President should strategise and look into the insecurities around us with a view to deploying personnel to curtail them.
They told us that the ban on boarder closure was lifted, so I think we will wait till January or so to see what happens. The president needs to monitor and ensure that goods come in at good prices so the people are not exploited.
He should encourage private sector participation – Samuel Kur, retiree and school proprietor
First, I would like to congratulate the President on the victory at the Supreme Court and I expect that he should quickly settle down and fix the economy, which is so bad. So far so good, the plans that he has are good. I pray that he should have the guts to implement those plans to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians and also boost the economy.
I want to also urge him to encourage the private sector participation in the economy. It will help a lot in injecting life into the several sectors of the economy.
He should look into fuel subsidy – Benson Okobi-Allanah, journalist
Let him look into this oil subsidy of a thing, the way it should be done to favour us. The areas he feels that should be explored to enable the masses heave a sigh of relief, he should do them. And he should not allow charlatans in the name of advisers to dictate to him. He should address the issue of hike in prices of food items, people are crying and recently, we were told that the ban on rice importation and other items had been lifted. He should ensure that these things are actually implemented not just saying it in the media. He should implement the policy and ensure that the prices of food items are drastically reduced.
It is high time we stopped going abroad to refine our crude oil, he should get refineries working. We know that the one in Kaduna is in the pipeline, let him extend the repairs to other refineries so that we stop going outside to refine the crude.
He should find a way of reducing the price of fuel – Fidelis Asuelime, civil servant
I don’t actually know what the country is going through right now, whether we even have a president or a leader who is determined to help the masses. He told Nigerians that all will be well with the subsidy thing but people are finding it difficult to live. Tinubu should look into the problem of the country, people need help. Subsidy should not come back because some people were profiting from the process. But rather, the president should take fair and balance decisions in such a way to reduce the cost of fuel. As I speak with you now, so many of us have parked our cars. About six months ago, I used to buy N2,000 worth of fuel and it will take me for three days but now if I buy N2000 worth of fuel, I will last for two hours. It is very difficult to operate on cars.
He should invest in agriculture and solid minerals – Dominic Okonta, retiree
You can see the state of the economy, it is heading to zero, I don’t know where we are going to. I will advise that he should not rush in making decisions. He should go back to the drawing board, embrace the so called political opponents because there are eggheads among them.
He should not neglect anybody, even those in the market and even the transporters. Tinubu should come down to the grassroots because our problem in this country is not up but down. When I say grassroots, I am saying that he should invest in agriculture. We are blessed in this country with resources waiting to be harnessed. The solid mineral sector is neglected, we are just looking at oil only. With agriculture and investments in solid minerals, many youths would be employed, and then we should diversify into technology.
He should justify his much talked about capacity – Livingstone Wechie, public affairs analyst
A conscious, patriotic spirit must be the focus to genuinely develop Nigeria from its current sorry state. The responsibility is now before President Bola Tinubu to not only deliver on his Renewed Hope agenda, but to justify this mandate by inexcusably exercising his much talked-about capacity to turn around the fortunes of the country by taking the yoke of the excruciating pain from citizens who are currently wallowing in hopelessness and economic depression.
He should run an all inclusive government – Dr. Omonuwa Fred, former union leader
Mr. President should sit up and face the issues of governance very squarely. And I will expect that as it is right now, he will run an inclusive government with even those that didn’t work for him. I know that the court cases were very bitter because I saw some elements of bitter politics but that doesn’t matter.
In order to move the country forward, he must include everybody.
In the area of poverty alleviation, the economy is really biting hard on the people. Some time ago, he came up to say N5 billion but I heard it is N2 billion now to the state government to be shared among the citizens of the state. The process of distribution is faulty. It is just as a gift to the state government. The president should put on his thinking cap and see how the money can get to the downtrodden.
Let him give us light and fix roads – John Inegbedion, politician
There is no need to ask the president to do this or do that. Nigerians are very peculiar people. If the government is able to fix our infrastructure, especially the roads, and you fix our light for us, we are good to go. Every other thing will fall into perspectives naturally. Let the president just fix our roads and give us light and that is what Nigerians want.
He should pursue his Renewed Hope agenda – Solomon Okoduwa, activist
The president should implement his renewed hope agenda that he has promised the Nigerian youths via the various ministries and the agencies that are responsible for its implementation. He must be directly involved, particularly the ministry of the Niger Delta that is concerned with the people of the Niger Delta region.
The Renewed Hope agenda actually gave Nigerians hope and aspirations to support his ambition and now that he has come to stay, we charge him to implement those policies that will further ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians.
He should tackle electricity challenges – Abdulhakeem Adegoke Alawuje, political analyst
President Tinubu must be ready to step on toes of those who enriched themselves from the national treasury and bring back the loot to pump into the economic development of our dear country. By so doing, the economy will be boosted to reduce on-going economic hardship in the land.
Also if Mr. President can rectify the electricity challenges and make it 70 or 80 per cent improvement, many investors will return to the country comfortably. It will enhance most of our common commodity to be producing within the country and it will bring down the use of dollars to the minimum level and it will energise our currency to gain more values against the dollar.
He should reduce the price of fuel – Emmanuel Ebong, graphic designer
President Tinubu must fulfil all his electioneering campaign promises. For example, he promised to stamp out insecurity if voted into power. What is he waiting for now that he had been elected President? People are being kidnapped and killed every day in our country. He also promised jobs creation. Where are the jobs? Many graduates are roaming the streets without jobs.
et Mr. President provide employment as he promised.
Today under his leadership, majority of Nigerians are going to bed on empty stomachs due to the rising cost of living. Let the President reduce the price of petroleum because the recent increase in prices of petroleum products has affected negatively all aspects of our lives.
