This journey of reforming Nigeria, in all aspects you are not alone – Akpabio assures Tinubu
“This journey of reforming Nigeria, in all aspects you are not alone. The National Assembly is with you. We will stand by you to ensure that we don’t do the same thing over and over and expect the different results.
“Nigeria needs transformation and under you, you are determined to do so. We are in essence saying that at the end of the day, you have been given an award as man of the year. Man of the year 2024 simply indicates that you are that man that has taken the very, very hard decision that Nigeria needed to take many years before you became president.
“The subsidy needed to go many years ago. Somebody used to joke that if subsidy does not kill Nigeria, then Nigerians will die of subsidy, whichever way you look at it. But you have stopped all that.
“Today, the reformative agenda of your administration, people are groaning and I am in sympathy and I said they should bear with you. We are all going to bear with you because we know, like you always say, that it’s like the pains of childbirth. It might be difficult, but when the first smile of the child comes, the joy comes in the morning,” he said.
The Chairman of the 10th NASS consoled the President on the deaths of citizens who were stampede at rice-sharing events in Ibadan of Oyo State, Okija of Anambra State and Maitama of Abuja.
“So Mr. President, congratulations that we were able to make it to 2025. We said we must be here. Please accept our sympathy for the souls of your citizens that you lost in 2024. May their souls rest in perfect peace. Please accept our sympathy, particularly on the stampede that took away our very young children in Ibadan and other places. It was not limited to one location. These were unavoidable circumstances, not man-dead, but almost natural disasters. Please accept our sympathy. May the souls of all rest in perfect peace,” he stated.
Akpabio lauded the efforts of the military and other security agencies who have continued to sacrifice for the peace and security of the nation. He assured that the 10th NASS would prioritize laws that would make their work easy.
“Extend our congratulations to the men and women in uniform, as commander-in-chief of the armed forces, who are daily striving and working very hard to keep us safe and to keep Nigeria afloat. We salute them and we are all with them. Tell them that the National Assembly will do everything possible to make their job easy,” he assured.
The Senate President further thanked Tinubu for creating a conducive environment for investors and businesses. He commended his democratic disposition in the management of the country’s affairs.
“I thank you for the ease of doing business. Nigeria is now becoming a destination where people come in and can get visa at the airport. It never happened before. You are making a lot of reforms that at the end we shall smile because of foreign direct investment.
“We tried to do Euro bond. We approved Euro bond for you of about $2 billion. We were subscribed under one week. Mr. President, that shows you that people are still interested in Nigeria. And why are they interested in Nigeria? Because the democrat, the former Senator, is now the President. And the former Senator is now the Vice President. And the former Senator is now the First Lady of the Federation. And they know what democracy is. Democracy is all about changing things and bringing about freedom. Freedom to do business. Thank you for the reforms. May God be with all of us. Happy New Year, Mr. President,” Akpabio added.
