President Bola Tinubu has acknowledged the hardships that accompanied his government’s bold reforms.
With unwavering determination, he addressed the pressing issue of ending petroleum subsidies, a move that had seen the cost of this vital commodity surge, thus affecting the cost of living for many Nigerians.
In his address to the nation, President Tinubu urged his fellow citizens to endure these temporary pains, assuring them that he was fully aware of the challenges they faced as a result of his government’s reforms.
He emphasised that these reforms were essential for the nation’s long-term prosperity and stability, noting the importance of collective sacrifice for the greater good.
“I am attuned to the hardships that have come. I have a heart that feels and eyes that see,” he said during his Independence Day broadcast on Sunday.
“I wish to explain to you why we must endure this trying moment. Those who sought to perpetuate the fuel subsidy and broken foreign exchange policies are people who would build their family mansion in the middle of a swamp. I am different. I am not a man to erect our national home on a foundation of mud. To endure, our home must be constructed on safe and pleasant ground.
“Reform may be painful, but it is what greatness and the future require. We now carry the costs of reaching a future Nigeria where the abundance and fruits of the nation are fairly shared among all, not hoarded by a select and greedy few. A Nigeria where hunger, poverty, and hardship are pushed into the shadows of an ever-fading past,” Tinubu added.
“There is no joy in seeing the people of this nation shoulder burdens that should have been shed years ago. I wish today’s difficulties did not exist. But we must endure if we are to reach the good side of our future.
“My government is doing all that it can to ease the load. I will now outline the path we are taking to relieve the stress on our families and households.”
