Governor Alex Otti has urged Nigerians to exercise patience with the economic policies initiated by President Bola Tinubu, expressing optimism that “positive changes are on the horizon”.
Speaking in Lagos yesterday after paying a Christmas homage to the President, Otti confirmed that the present administration inherited a challenging economic landscape. He highlighted issues such as surging inflation, a substantial debt profile and high unemployment that Tinubu faced on taking office.
The governor said: “Tinubu came in at a difficult time when inflation was close to 30 per cent, the national debt was almost $40 billion, and unemployment was close to 33.3 per cent. “The President has been very courageous, unifying the exchange rate and removing fuel subsidy which had become a scam and costing the nation a lot of money. The governor said that the positive aspects of these policies would soon transform into the reduction of poverty among the over 60 per cent of the population.
Otti said: “Those policies are good but they come with their negative sides. They come with challenges for an economy where over 60 per cent of the population live below the poverty line. “So, it’s not going to be easy immediately but I believe that if we are patient and if we go through they policies without compromising, over time, things will turn around.”
Otti also commended Tinubu for authorising the commencement of reconstruction work on the failed portion of the Port Harcourt–Enugu Expressway.
