To deflect attention from his subpar performance in Edo, Governor Obaseki attacks the Tinubu government, according to the information minister.
The Nigerian government has criticised Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, alleging that he is trying to deflect attention from his allegedly subpar performance in his state by criticising President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies and decisions on the elimination of fuel subsidies and the reform of the foreign exchange market.
The federal government warned Governor Obaseki, a governor of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that elections are over and that he should exhibit more statesmanship in a statement signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mallam Mohammed Idris.
The minister stated that it was crucial to clarify certain narratives for a more informed public discourse and pointed out that the federal government’s response was based on a statement attributed to Obaseki and published by ThisDay Newspaper on Thursday.
Idris stated, “No one was surprised by the statement attributed to Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, which was used as the lead front page story in ThisDay Newspaper of today (Thursday, August 24, 2023).” However, in order to have a more informed public discourse, it is crucial to make certain narratives clear.
“Since joining the Peoples Democratic Party, Governor Obaseki has been using the economic problems facing the country as cannon fodder to deflect attention from his subpar performance at the state level. While conflicting opinions among leaders are common, it’s important to base discussion on observable outcomes and to connect criticism to reality.
“Governor Obaseki’s remarks about the Federal Government’s decisions on fuel subsidies and reforms to the foreign exchange market may have neglected the bigger picture of the economy.
The removal of fuel subsidies has long been supported by Nigerians, State Governors from all political parties, and international organisations like the World Bank and IMF, along with numerous economic experts, due to the fiscal distortions and burden it has caused on the country’s economy.
The national oil company regularly charged payments for fuel subsidies to the Federation account for many months, which reduced the amount of money available to states and local governments from FAAC.
For context, Edo State has significantly benefited from the removal of fuel subsidies under Governor Obaseki’s leadership, as shown by the more than doubling of the FAAC allocation to Edo State between June and July 2023 – more than it had ever received prior to the removal of fuel subsidies.
“Our suggestion? The emphasis should be on how the Edo State Government will use available resources to drive impactful projects that genuinely uplift the people of Edo State rather than diving into narratives that don’t give the whole picture.
“President Tinubu makes foresight-based decisions at the national level with the main goal of constructing a robust and sustainable economy. The National Economic Council, where important economic decisions are made, frequently echoes this vision.
“We want to make it very clear that President Bola Tinubu’s bold and courageous economic decisions made since taking office are the only reason Edo State, along with the other 35 States and the FCT, can access more FAAC revenue.
“These decisions, which were necessary to reposition the national economy for greater output, have received praise from all corners of the world. What could have prompted Governor Obaseki to level such flagrantly false accusations against the Federal Government remains a mystery to us.
According to the constitution, Governor Obaseki participates in the National Economic Council (NEC), where important decisions regarding the issues he raised in his media address were made by his colleagues while they were seated in council with Senator Kashim Shettima, the vice president.
“Even though Governor Obaseki will need to justify his absence from the two NEC meetings held during the current administration to the residents of his state, we would like to let him know that his colleagues applauded President Tinubu for having the guts to do away with the ghost of fuel subsidies, which had for years crippled the finances of the three levels of government. If Governor Obaseki attended these meetings, it would be beneficial to get his input and align with the group’s goals.
Contrary to the false impression that Governor Obaseki is trying to convey, the council made broad decisions at the most recent NEC meeting, which took place last week.
“One of the decisions approved the immediate distribution of N5 billion to each state to purchase food items for later distribution to families, while the states work to clean up the social registers in preparation for cash transfers that will benefit up to 20 million of Nigeria’s most vulnerable citizens.
“As part of plans to address the rising cost of living and aid working people in maintaining a decent standard of living, the NEC also established a committee to negotiate a new national minimum wage with the labour unions and the general upward review of salary for public sector workers.
In addition, there are ongoing plans to supply 11,500 CNG-powered mass transit vehicles, supply farmers with fertiliser, and assist farmers in cultivating 500,000 hectares of arable land to plant staple crops for human consumption and industrial use.
“The Federal Government is working very hard with the states and local governments to provide assistance to our people because it is aware of the current challenges Nigerians are facing. Our nation is being led by President Tinubu through extremely difficult times.
“We have complete faith that a prosperous future is just around the corner. Rather than engaging in cheap politics that accomplishes nothing more, leaders at all levels must work together cooperatively to improve the lives of Nigerians.
“The time for politics and politicking is over, as President Tinubu has warned. The time has come to start taking governance seriously in order to make Nigeria stronger, more viable, socially cohesive, and prosperous.
