The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has urged Nigerians to be patient and give President Bola Tinubu more time to address the nation’s economic challenges.
In response to growing discontent and the planned August protests against economic hardship, Tunji-Ojo, speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, emphasised the complexity and historical depth of the nation’s economic issues.
“Mr President, to the best of my knowledge, never campaigned to be a magician; he campaigned as a statesman. He campaigned on the basis of ‘Renewed Hope’. Before hope could be renewed, it had dwindled,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
He highlighted that solving economic problems rooted in decades of mismanagement cannot be achieved overnight.
“What you see today is an accumulation of mismanagement over the last 100, 60, 30 years,” he added.
The minister’s plea for patience comes amid skyrocketing prices of food and basic commodities, exacerbated by the government’s recent economic policies, including the removal of the petrol subsidy and the unification of forex windows.
These measures, though intended to stabilise and strengthen the economy in the long run, have sparked one of the country’s worst inflation rates and economic crises in recent memory.
Tunji-Ojo acknowledged the immediate hardships these policies have caused but insisted that they were necessary steps for the nation’s long-term sustainability.
“Nigeria is going through a surgical process and will emerge healthy and strong. We are pleading for time,” he said.
