Presidency Admits Times Are Tough, Urges Nigerians To Persevere

The presidency has admitted that the country is in tough times, but a brighter future is ahead.

Naija News reports that President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this via a post on X.

Onanuga insisted that President Tinubu’s economic reforms are yielding positive results and urged Nigerians to persevere for a brighter future.

He wrote: “The economic reforms of the PBAT administration are yielding dividends. The road is rough, the times are tough, let us persevere for a brighter future. Surely, there is a beam of light at the end of the tunnel.”

Onanuga also churned out some statistics: “In the first quarter of 2024, Nigeria recorded trade super plus of N65.527 trillion. But by the second quarter, that number rose to N65.945 trillion, a 6.5 percent increase.

“By half year 2024, we had exported enough to cover half of Nigeria’s N28.77 trillion budget.”

Tinubu May Unveil New Cabinet This Week, Fill Vacant Slot

Meanwhile, indications have emerged that the much-anticipated cabinet reshuffle by President Bola Tinubu may be announced soon, following a closed-door meeting on Monday with Hadiza Bala-Usman, Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination.

This meeting is seen as pivotal in determining the future composition of the cabinet, as the Policy Coordination office is tasked with establishing the criteria for evaluating ministers’ performance and deciding who will be retained or let go.

This responsibility was assigned to the office after the President’s retreat in November 2023, where ministers signed a “Performance Bond.”

The office has also developed a “citizens’ delivery tracker” aimed at gathering empirical data to assess the cabinet members’ effectiveness.

Details of the Monday meeting remain confidential; however, it comes at a critical time, with expectations that the President will not only reshuffle his current ministers but also appoint replacements for key positions that have recently become vacant.

Notably, Simon Lalong, the former Minister of Labour and Employment and President Tinubu’s Presidential Campaign Director General, resigned to take his seat in the Senate representing Plateau South Senatorial District.

Additionally, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management is currently without a minister following the suspension of Betta Edu amid scandals.

There is speculation about whether the President will retain this ministry or merge its responsibilities with those of the Ministry of Finance.