One year anniversary: Tinubu’s Govt freed over 4,600 hostages, neutralised 9,300 security threats — Minister
…Atiku cannot achieve in 8yrs what Tinubu has accomplished in his first year in office — APC
By Matthew Denis, Abuja
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris has disclosed that in one year in office of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he has improved on the security situation by the liberation of over 4,600 hostages, neutralisation of 9,300 criminals, and arrest of 7,000 terrorists and bandits.
He made the disclosure in a statement made available to NewsDirect on Tuesday.
He said, “Security has been a major focus, with substantial investments aimed at modernising the armed forces and achieving significant milestones in national security.
“These efforts have resulted in the liberation of over 4,600 hostages, neutralisation of 9,300 criminals, and arrest of 7,000 terrorists and bandits. The security forces have also recovered thousands of weapons and rounds of ammunition, crucial in combating banditry and insurgency.”
According to him, Nigeria has embarked on a transformative journey towards stability, prosperity, and security, guided by the 8-Point Renewed Hope Agenda. This milestone is detailed in the Ministry of Information and National Orientation’s report, titled “One Year of the Tinubu Administration – Building a Safer, Stronger, and Prosperous Nigeria, highlighting the significant strides made under President Tinubu’s leadership to tackle critical national challenges and implement comprehensive policies aimed at fostering national growth and development.”
He stressed, “Amidst economic challenges marked by turmoil and unemployment, the administration’s bold economic reforms have stabilised the economy and sparked growth. A significant move was the removal of the unsustainable fuel subsidy, redirecting approximately $10 billion annually towards critical sectors such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and security.
“This action alone led to a 50 percent reduction in petrol importation and increased state and local government revenues. The elimination of the foreign exchange subsidy and the harmonisation of FOREX rates bolstered the Nigerian economy, resulting in the Nigerian Stock Exchange becoming the top-performing bourse globally and strengthening the Naira.
“To ease the impact of these economic measures, the administration launched several interventions, including a wage award of N35,000 monthly for civil servants, the establishment of a tripartite committee for wage restructuring, and the creation of an Infrastructure Support Fund for states. Internationally, the administration has successfully attracted over $30 billion in investments, enhancing Nigeria’s global economic partnerships.”
In addressing food security, President Tinubu declared a state of emergency, leading to the restructuring of the Ministry of Agriculture into the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security. Initiatives such as the National Agricultural Development Fund and the Dry Season Farming Initiative have been launched to bolster agricultural productivity and ensure food sufficiency.
“Energy and natural resources management have seen enhanced security measures in the Niger Delta, leading to an increase in oil production and more stable natural gas output. Infrastructure development has also been prioritised, with significant investments in transportation networks including the activation of new rail lines and the initiation of the Lagos-Calabar Super Highway, and the inauguration of the Engineering Design of the Sokoto-Badagry Highway.
“Healthcare and education have received substantial boosts under the Renewed Hope Agenda. The expansion of primary health centres and the introduction of the Student Loans (Access to Higher Education) Act are part of efforts to improve access to essential services and opportunities for all Nigerians.”
The Minister emphasised thatTinubu administration remains committed to its vision of a resilient, inclusive, and prosperous Nigeria, underpinned by strategic investments, youth empowerment, and improved governance.
…Atiku cannot achieve in 8yrs what Tinubu has accomplished in his first year in office — APC
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken a swipe at Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
The Party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morla said that the former VP cannot achieve in eight years what President Tinubu has accomplished in his first year in office.
According to the APC, the former VP has not let up on his vilification of the outstanding first-year record of achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Recall that in his latest statement, Atiku had claimed that Tinubu was not ready for reforms, dismissing his policies as “trial and error.”
“Atiku’s self-serving efforts to minimise the bold, genuine and metamorphic policies and interventions of the present administration only smacks of primordial political envy and crass desperation for the power that Nigerians have so wisely denied him.
“The former Vice President lives in an alternate reality of prejudice and unpatriotic desire for Nigeria’s failure so he may scavenge his way to an even more elusive presidency.
“Quite contrary to Atiku’s claim, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has, in its first year in office, attracted over $20 billion into the economy while the stock exchange has ballooned from N18.12 billion in Q1 of 2023 to N93.37 billion in 01 of 2024, representing an increase of over 400 percent with an annual economic growth rate leaping from 2.5 percent to 3.46 percent.
“Key sectors of manufacturing telecommunications, oil and gas, solid minerals, e-commerce and fintech have continued to attract increased and ceaseless flow of foreign direct investments (FDIs). Yet, Atiku remains wilfully blind to the pace of progress that is so self-evident.
“President Tinubu set an audacious target of building a $1 trillion economy in the next few years and has put together a bevy of experts and professionals, and introduced far-reaching policies and programmes to drive the actualisation of this desirable economic target.
“The President needs the support and encouragement of Nigerians, not the bile-filled pessimism of partisan Atikus.
“Atiku’s false alarm of an imminent food scarcity boldface ignores the widely acknowledged proactive measures already introduced by President Tinubu to guarantee food security in the country. In December 2023, the Federal Government set a target for the cultivation of 500,000 hectares of land across the federation.
“Cultivation of rice, maize, wheat and cassava on over 246,231 hectares of land in 30 states of the federation is in progress in addition to approving massive grants and other incentives to farmers.
“The former Vice President’s swipe on the administration’s national security management again betrays his lack of touch with the reality of our current situation. Not only did the administration revamp and reconfigure the country’s security apparatus, it created a Special Security Fund to boost its superiority and operational effectiveness against merchants of crime and insecurity.
“Yet, Atiku turns a blind eye to considerable improvement in our security, especially in the North East where Atiku hails from.
“The same Atiku that accused the administration of lacking compassion for the people and failing to provide palliatives to cushion the transient onerous effects of inevitable and vitally necessary economic policies turns around to recommend a review of social investment policies he suggests were nonexistent.
“He also conveniently ignored ongoing serious negotiations with Labour Unions on the upward review of minimum wage for workers in the country all meant to improve their welfare while the benefits of reforms reach that certain fullness.
“Beyond his preferred economic blueprint of selling off our prized national assets to his friends and cronies, Atiku’s only notable contribution to Nigeria’s development has been his unquenched and unquenchable hunger pang for power for his less than altruistic purpose.
“ Atiku cannot achieve in eight years what President Tinubu has accomplished in his first year in office.
“And yes, the occasion is the first year anniversary of President Tinubu’s administration, not four or eight-years in review. The opposition’s efforts to burden the administration with ceaseless, contrived, unjustified and diversionary reproval is grossly miscalculated and misled.
“The sheer length of Atiku’s prevaricative epistle of a statement is testament to the expanse of the administration’s policy and programme uptake in 365 short days.
“President Bola Tinubu remains unshakable in his commitment to building concrete blocks of progress and greatness for Nigeria. While Atiku and his band of mudslingers idle away, the President will continue, unstoppably, to deliver high grade infrastructure not only in our nation’s capital, Abuja, but all around the country,” the party said.
