The Vice President, Kashim Shettima has told President Bola Tinubu that apart from his reforms that have increased allocations to state governments,
governors are grateful to him for giving them a stable political family.
He spoke on Friday when he led some governors on a Sallah homage to Tinubu at the President’s Lagos residence.
According to him, “I know Mr President that every governor gathered here today is grateful.
“They are grateful not only because your reforms have expanded their allocations and strengthened their capacity to deliver, but because you have given them a stable political family.
“A house where pillars are strong enough to carry the weight of our political aspirations. A platform from which they can serve their people without the distraction of political upheaval or the anxieties of their fractured future.”
Shettima maintained that the administration’s reforms were laying the foundation for long-term economic stability despite the political and social costs associated with the policy changes.
He added that state governors benefited directly from the reforms and now had greater capacity to implement development projects.
The Vice President went on to disclose that Tinubu decided to remove the fuel subsidy long before announcing the policy at his May 29 2023 swearing in but deliberately kept the plan out of his inauguration speech to avoid pressure against the decision.
In his words, “The withdrawal of the fuel subsidy you kept secret. It wasn’t part of your speech. It wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision.
“You had made that decision but kept it close to your heart because you believe that if you had incorporated it into your speech, some people will try to persuade you not to do so.
“That’s the courage of leadership. That’s the audacity of hope. That’s the effrontery to see into the future.”
