President Bola Tinubu’s Special Assistant on Constituency Affairs, Khadijat Omotayo, has asked Nigerians to refrain from criticising her principal over the elimination of the fuel subsidy.
At a town hall gathering on Saturday in Jos, the capital of Plateau State, Omotayo made the call in front of a range of stakeholders, including farmers, market women, youth organisations, labour leaders, traditional rulers, government representatives, and students.
Omotayo asserts that the President is dedicated to putting policies into place that would enhance the quality of life for all Nigerians.
She underlined that the President has raised worker salaries and promised more raises during his administration and that all states have shared in the funds created by the elimination of the fuel subsidy.
Omotayo commended the president’s dedication to inclusivity, saying that her presence in the PDP-held state of Plateau State demonstrated his will to cooperate with all Nigerians.
Additionally, the presidential adviser praised Caleb Muftwang, the governor of Plateau State, for his efforts to advance inclusivity and democracy.
“At this point, I don’t expect us to keep attacking Mr. President, who wants the dividends of democracy to go down the states,” she remarked.
“If the president is partisan. We all know Plateau State is a PDP state; thus, he won’t allow me to visit. However, he wants to take everyone with him; therefore, I’m here to represent him. We battled for it and won it during the election time. We must take all the decent Nigerians with us after the election.
“Yes, the subsidy has been eliminated by the President, but all states have received the resources that resulted from this action. Regarding pay raises, when was the last time the nation’s president raised employee salaries?
“Therefore, I believe we should give Mr. President a small token of our appreciation. Although he has only been in office for a month, he has already raised employee compensation and stated that this will not be the last time that workers will receive pay increases during his term.
“The students are discussing free education, and the president has started to provide them with free loans. Every region is gaining from this loan. A friend should tell a friend, a mother should tell a brother, and a father should tell a brother. Collateral-free student loans are available. Once more, what do you want? And the president has stated that you can pay back the loan after two years of finding employment. The money will be taken out of your pay cheque; you are not required to pay it out of pocket.
“Go apply for a student loan, please. Although we should be demanding it, the President has decided that it is appropriate for him to take action, which he has done. Let’s motivate our young people to apply for student loans so they can finish their degrees.”
She added, “I’m pleased with what I saw yesterday when I was with the Deputy Governor of Plateau State.
“I’m proud of the current governor, and we live in a genuinely democratic environment. The government we are in is not partisan. The government we are running is inclusive, not discriminatory based on religion.
“For heaven’s sake, let’s strive together to create a nation that benefits everyone. You may be confident that we will all be included in whatever empowerment that my office brings to the States. Please refrain from criticising the President and instead ask our representatives questions. 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.”
In contrast to criticising the President, the Special Assistant urged Nigerians to cooperate in creating a nation that benefits everyone and to hold their politicians responsible.
