Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu on Constituency Affairs, Khadijat Omotayo, has urged Nigerians to stop criticizing the president over the removal of fuel subsidies, stressing that the policy is designed to benefit all citizens.
Speaking at a town hall meeting in Jos, Plateau State, on Saturday, Omotayo defended Tinubu’s administration, emphasizing ongoing economic reforms and social initiatives aimed at improving citizens’ welfare.
She explained that funds saved from the subsidy removal have been allocated to states for development projects and that the president has already approved salary increases for workers, with more increments expected.
She said, “I don’t expect us at this point to keep attacking Mr President, who wants dividends of democracy to go down the states. If Mr President is a partisan politician. He won’t let me come to Plateau State, as we all know it is a PDP state. But I’m here to represent him just because he wants to carry everybody along. When it was an election period, we fought for it and got it. After the election, we have to carry all the good people of Nigerians along.
“Yes, Mr President has removed the subsidy, but the resources accruing from that removal have been shared with all states. On the issue of salary increment, when last has any president of the country increased the salary of workers? So, I think Mr President needs a little thank you from us. He has not spent one year in office, and he has increased the salaries of workers and he said this is not going to be the end of salary increments for workers during his tenure.”
Omotayo also encouraged students to take advantage of the newly introduced student loan programme, assuring that the repayment process is structured to ease the burden on beneficiaries.
Governor Caleb Mutfwang, represented by State Commissioner for Youths Musa Ashoms, commended Tinubu’s administration for its developmental efforts in Plateau State.
“Mr President is doing a lot for us in Plateau, but like Oliver Twist, we are only asking for more. Like you said Emilokan, as Plateau state, it is our time for development,” Mutfwang stated.
Omotayo urged Nigerians to work collectively to build a prosperous nation, stressing the need to question their representatives rather than directing frustrations solely at the president.
“Please, we need to be asking our representatives questions and not be attacking Mr President. He is rich enough to sit down in his house and say, I’m not contesting, but he wants to bring back the renewed hope to Nigerians, and that is why he said I want to do Emilokan,” she added.
The town hall meeting was attended by market women, youth groups, labour leaders, traditional rulers, government officials and students.
