President Bola Tinubu on Friday disclosed that his speech writers led by Wale Edun did not include removal of petroleum subsidy in his speech on inauguration day, adding that regardless, he found courage and announced it at the ceremony in Eagle Square.
He made the disclosure on Friday evening while interacting with some Nigerians resident in Paris, France after attending the Summit on New Global Financing Pact.
Tinubu stated that his aides still did not believe what he did until he called the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and told them that the subsidy was gone.
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Speaking on the decision to end the payment of petrol subsidies, he argued: “Making just a few smugglers rich. Some countries were bleaching us. Courage was missing. Sometimes, I became an advocate of it. Remove this thing but God gave me the opportunity when I danced around, strategised with my team, we won the presidency.
“And the day I was declared winner I fell almost sick with joy. The few friends visited me rejoicing. So I asked the question, you asked me to bring this trophy, this victory what do you do with it?
“I brought it. I won. We must achieve with it. We must change Nigeria with it.
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“And then Wale Edun and co, we started debating, putting my speech together without the question on subsidy. I got to the podium, I was possessed with courage and I said subsidy is gone.
“They thought it was a joke of the century until I called NNPC. We are tired of feeding smugglers, making a few people rich and subsidizing the next door neighbour.”
President Tinubu assured of a better future for Nigerians, saying that he would not discriminate between those who voted and not voted for him as he has become the president of all Nigeria.
He added: “To all of you, our hope is rewarded. To all of you, the courage is here. And the promise of a better future is a must for us. I am here on a dual carriageway. What do to do andor do I respond to the new question of environmental challenges?
“How do I present my case for Nigeria whose dependency of fossil fuel is being challenged?
“I have transportation challenges, electricity challenges, infrastructural challenges just to name a few. And I have a giant elephant in the house. I let it out without bringing the house down. We are focused.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us. Our diversity is an asset if we know how to use it for our prosperity. Born of the same father, in the same house except living in different rooms. We must promote unity, stability and economic justice for every one of us.
“Thank you. Whether you voted for me, or you didn’t vote for me, campaigned for me, or you didn’t campaign for me. I am your president. By the grace of God, I have to work on your behalf and make in Nigeria a turning point for prosperity.
“So your president is here. I dance for it and I have to continue to be prepared for it.
“The challenges are enormous do but we have hope? Yes. With perseverance, determination and persistency we can achieve whatever we desire.
“It is clear to me, I know the road and I’ve been through what many of you have been through outside the country.
I’ve been in America, in the UK, I have been a night guard, security, a door man in America. But I have achieved my aim.”
Also speaking on the detained Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, President Tinubu affirmed that he case was being handled by relevant authorities.
According to him, the nation’s financial system was rotten with a few people making money.
He said: “Then the financial system was rotten. Few people making … with our money and then you yourself, you stopped sending money home to our poor parents. Several windows that is gone now, is gone. The man is in the hands of authorities, something is being done about that, they will sought themselves out.
“We have security challenges in the country. Maybe that is how they are fueling insecurity, we have to look at everything. We won’t change the financial system, it will work for you.
“Wale Edun and I, and the team, we have that record in Lagos state. We inherited an internally generated revenue of only N600 million, is over N50 billion every month now and Lagos is on autopilo. Anybody intelligent enough can navigate it.”
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