Senator Remi Okunrinboye, a prominent supporter of President Bola Tinubu, in this interview, says the President possesses the right vision and determination to turn around Nigeria’s fortunes despite current economic and security challenges. He defends the Tinubu administration’s reforms, saying the discomfort being experienced is short-term and necessary for long-term progress.
Why do you continue to support President Tinubu despite the prevailing challenges in the economy and security?
There is no nation without issues no matter how little. However, what differentiates a leader of a country from another is his vision for that country.
President Bola has the right vision for Nigeria, he has a plan, he is implementing the plan and once that plan gains the solid ground he desires, we’ll experience a different and better Nigeria.
The President has shown us he is capable, he is not shying away from problems and he is facing them head-on in a visible manner. Why should I doubt him or not continue to support him? He knows what he is doing and it is clear he knows what he is doing.
Most of the security issues we are still facing today are perpetrated by enemies of Nigeria and those who want to disrupt his administration. They are people who want the citizens to dislike President Tinubu’s capacity and doubt his capabilities. As I earlier stated, the discomfort we face today is short-term.
I will also add that President Tinubu learnt from the best of our past heroes. We have been involved directly in the politics of Nigeria for almost four decades. He has the experience and is passionate about resolving the mess he met before assuming office.
Sincerely, I don’t see anyone with the wealth of experience Bola Tinubu has, and great things as we know take time.
Apart from President Bola being a friend and colleague, I trust his skills and leadership. He knows what he is doing and is passionate about fixing the issues. I can tell Nigerians boldly, President Bola Tinubu will transform this chaos and bring about order in Nigeria.
Many Nigerians have complained about the impact of fuel subsidy removal and Naira devaluation. Do you believe these reforms were necessary, and are you seeing any positive signs yet?
Yes, I strongly believe the President made the right decision. Although I won’t be insensitive to the impact of the economic reforms on Nigerians, it is important to take into consideration that these decisions taken under the leadership of the President were necessary steps to correct long-standing structural deformation in our economy.
Fuel subsidy regime placed an unsustainable burden on public finances for years. We were spending trillions of naira annually just to keep Petrol prices artificially low and to make matters worse, oil smugglers and a slim group of importers benefited largely from this rather than all the citizens of Nigeria. At the same time, it made it difficult for government to invest meaningfully in the sectors that would benefit everyone. Sectors like healthcare, education and infrastructure suffered greatly due to these cajoled and pampered policies of maintaining the subsidy.
On the issue of naira floatation, it will interest you to know that the previous foreign exchange system which kept naira artificially strong, created vivid and significant inefficiencies. I am a chartered accountant, also the President and as an accountant you don’t sit and watch certain errors continue without interjecting and making the right changes. I commend Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Governor, Cardoso, and Finance Minister, Wale Edun, for their effectiveness in tackling and enacting the President’s stance on that subject matter.
Before naira floatation, Nigeria faced severe shortages of dollars, foreign investments were greatly discouraged, investors likewise. But by allowing the naira to reflect market realities, government has taken a bold step toward transparency and long-term economic stability.
Yes, these reforms have brought about some challenges. I won’t deny that fact, but they are only short-term challenges. In my country home there in Owo, I know how my people complain about higher transport costs and increased cost of living, but I have always maintained my stance on the issue and I also take my time to educate people on this issue. Economic history shows that such transitions, while difficult, are often necessary to lay the foundation for sustainable growth. A child that intends to run must first crawl, and while learning to stand and walk would struggle through that phase, but at the end you see him or her standing upright to walk and you would usually see the joy on the parents faces as the child begins to walk. Certain discomforts are necessary for long term happiness and comfort.
On the bright side, there are already signs of progress. Government revenues have improved, reducing fiscal pressures and Nigeria’s dependence on borrowing. And as the foreign exchange market becomes more transparent, investor confidence is gradually returning. Also, there are stronger incentives for domestic refining and energy dependence, which will, over time reduce Nigeria’s reliance on imported fuel.
The floating of Naira has benefited the agricultural economy more than expressed, cocoa, cashew growers, ginger, cotton and rubber producers are encouraged to head to the farm. Export is growing as a result of the liberation and flotation of the Naira.
It’s making people look inward.
Lastly, I would say, these reforms represent a serious economic transition. Nigeria’s economy will be moving from an economy weighed down by inefficiencies to one driven by sustainability and productivity. The journey is not without pain, but it is a crucial step toward a more stable and prosperous Nigeria.
What would you say to critics who argue that the current economic hardship is too heavy a price for ordinary Nigerians to pay?
To the critics, those who know the truth but constantly choose to waver and arouse tension amongst the citizens, those who are not being compatriots but rather trying to demean and frustrate the President Tinubu led administration, I’ll ask them only one question: Was the previous path sustainable, and would avoiding these reforms have made life better or worse in the long run?
The plain answer is that the old system, fuel subsidy and artificially controlled exchange rate was already collapsing, there were already visible cracks, it wasn’t a matter of would there be a collapse it was a question of how soon would the collapse be. That pampered policy was draining public resources and only benefiting a slim group of gluttons. I call these people, Nigeria’s silent terrorists. They hate the country, the government and the citizens, they are heartless and cruel. Continuing to benefit those groups of people would have not spared Nigeria’s pain, it would have only delayed it and made it even more intense and severe in the long run.
I’m also a Nigerian and as you know I currently hold no public office neither do I benefit nor have I ever benefited from any privately awarded government contract, so, I also feel the discomfort every other average Nigerian feels. I understand why many people feel the current hardship is too heavy and as leaders, we must never dismiss that sentiment.
What Bola Tinubu has done however is to tackle this problem head-on like a fearless person that he is and I have always known him to be. I’m sure they were not easy for him to proclaim either when he assumed office but as a leader you must see the long term impact of a situation and make the uncomfortable decisions to help sustain your people. Do you think it was easy for Pharaoh who served a different god to proclaim Joseph ruler over all the affairs of Egypt? But in order to carry out your job as a leader you must make certain sacrifices for the benefit of the people you have been called to serve as their leader.
During the National Democratic Coalition, NADECO, struggle when the military government of Abacha faced us head-on, the President and I, though in different locations at the time, would always find ways to share intel, though uncomfortable for our lives and family, we made sacrifices for the good of the country. The President has always been someone who is able to make sacrifices and tough decisions when required.
Now that doesn’t mean Nigerians should simply endure hardship without support. Government has a responsibility to cushion the impact through targeted interventions and this again the Tinubu led government has done brilliantly. Recent data shows an approximate amount of over 330Billion Naira has been disbursed to 8 million households.
He understands that reform and relief must go hand in hand.
So to those who say the price is too high, I would say to them Yes, the cost is indeed significant but the cost of inaction would have been worse for Nigeria and our economy.
However, our collective focus now must be to educate those who don’t fully understand the situation and also to ensure that these sacrifices are transfigured into visible improvements, better opportunities for the citizens and more investment for the nation’s economy.
Some people feel government’s response to security challenges has been slow. How do you respond to that concern as a Tinubu supporter?
Well, it is quite understandable that some citizens feel the response has been slow, especially given the urgency and the emotional weight issues on security challenges like terrorism, banditry and kidnapping carry. When lives are at stake, every moment feels too long, this concern is very important, valid and we must not dismiss that.
However, it’s very important we distinguish between the complexity and perception of the task at hand. The security issues we’ve faced over the past decades in Nigeria and up till this moment rooted and have evolved over many years.
Crippling criminal networks, restoring total order and refurbishing the intelligence systems require careful planning and coordination not just quick headline driven reactions.
Under President Tinubu’s administration what we are seeing is a more structured and deliberate approach. With the renewed hope emphasis on protecting lives and property, we’ve seen better intelligence-led operations and better coordination amongst the security agencies. There is a tactical effort to cut off the financing and logistics that sustain these unscrupulous people terrorizing the peace of the land. These strategies may not necessarily be visible for all to see but they are essential for a result that transcend the present time.
While the concern about speed is understandable, the focus of this administration appears to be on getting it right and making the gains sustainable. This is a sensitive issue and a matter of national security. It is not about how fast you act, but how effectively you resolve the problem and crumble those who may even dare have the thought of disrupting the peace and stability of this nation in the future.
Young Nigerians, especially those abroad, often express frustration about the country’s direction. What message would you give them as a supporter of the President?
I would give them a message not only as someone who supports President Tinubu’s government but also as a father and a human being who’s been around for a while and knows the damaging impact a crippled nation has on the youths of that country.
To the young Nigerians both home and in diaspora, I would say your frustrations are understandable, and in many ways reasonable and justified. The youths of today are more informed, educated and aware of the global standards than any of the generations before, so it is only right to demand and expect more from your country.
However, I would urge all well meaning youths of this great nation not to lose faith or disengage from the future of Nigeria. Great nations are built not in moments of comfort but during meaningful and difficult transitions like the one we are currently experiencing.
This administration, although taking some uneasy reforms, is very concerned about the future of Nigeria and Nigerians as a whole.
Under President Tinubu’s leadership, the country is undertaking some of the most far- reaching economic and structural reforms in decades. These reforms, however, are aimed at creating a more stable, transparent, and opportunity driven economy, which would be beneficial to all.
We all have collective roles to play as citizens of this great nation. Yes, this is undeniably a challenging period but it is also a defining one. The choices Mr President and his formidable team have made thus far are intended to lay groundwork for a more sustainable and prosperous Nigeria.
Nigeria’s story is still being written and young Nigerians must remain active authors of that story, not distant spectators.