BBC Pidgin of Saturday, 29 July 2023

Source: BBC

Six tins Tinubu do inside 60 days for office

Bola Ahmed Tinubu Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Nigeria President Bola Tinubu now don spend 60 days in office.

Im time in office although e never too tay, dey filled with a lot of activities, many of which don make headlines, some for not di right reasons though.

Although di Peoples Democratic Party, PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar and di Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, dey challenge di mata of im win for di polls for di Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, e be like say e no dey shake as e don hit di ground running.

Na interesting journey so far, but depending on who you ask, dem fit say na positive or negative.

We try to break down how im 60 days journey don be so far in six points.

Removal of fuel subsidy

President Tinubu make pipo begin tok right from di beginning.

On di day of im inauguration on 29 May, e announce say: “Fuel Subsidy done go!”

Dat announcement cause commotion.

Immediately, fuel come become scarce. Marketers and distributors go quiet. Soon afta dat, petrol pump price across Nigeria go from about N184 to about N488 across di nation, di ripple effect come begin show on di cost of living.

Although Tinubu announcement na continuation of wetin who e take over from, Muhammadu Buhari bin don tok afta im administration say dem go stop di payment of fuel subsidy by di end of June 2023, many still see im announcement as wetin spoil everything.

And to cushion di effect of di hardship wey di removal of subsidy on petrol cause, di president bin ask di national assembly to approve $800 million loan.

Tinubu say 12 million households go receive N8,000 [about $10] monthly from di loan wey di dem go get from World Bank.

But pipo criticise am and President Bola Tinubu come order di immediate review of di proposed N8,000 cash transfer to Nigerians.

Oda economic reforms

Tinubu begin work almost immediately. E announce several economic reforms.

E suspend di Govnor of di Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele.

Emefiele bin introduce di naira redesign project and di cash withdrawal limits for late 2022 wey lead to a cash shortage and cause a lot of hardship on citizens in di build up to di 2023 general elections.

President Tinubu also announce im goment decision to unify di exchange rate, replace di previous multiple exchange rate regime wey di Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) bin dey follow.

Di unified exchange rate now dey determined by market forces, and di CBN go intervene only to check volatility.

Tinubu don also sign four Executive Orders, postponing di enforcement of taxes on telecommunication services and alcoholic beverages and suspending di green tax, including di single use plastics tax and di import adjustment levy on certain categories of vehicles.

Dis move im tok-tok pipo say na to address di gaps dem identify for di tax policies of di previous administration and to help to achieve di policy of di Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria.

And as di cost of living and prices of food continued to rise, President Bola declare a state of emergency on food security for di kontri. Tinubu direct say make all matas pertaining to food and water availability and affordability, as essential livelihood items, dey included within di work of di National Security Council.

Student loans

One of di promises Tinubu make be say university lecturers no go strike during im time.

E bin show say e get interest for di education sector.

Not long afta e assume office, Tinubu sign di Student Loan Bill into law.

Under dis law, students fit access loans to pay dia school fees.

But dis move don also receive criticisms from different quarters. Pipo question how e go work and if indeed e go work drawing from di experiences of oda kontris.

Appointments

Just a day to di deadline wey di kontri constitution give as timeline under which di president must announce im ministers, Senate President, Godswill Akpabio read out di names of 28 ministerial nominees wey Tinubu send on di floor of di senate.

Former Rivers state govnor Nyesom Wike, Former Govnor of Kaduna state Nasir El-Rufai and di All Progressives Congress, APC Women Leader Betta Edu make di list.

Before den though, di president bin don announce several appointments to occupy different positions for im government. From Special Advisers to Aides, Tinubu appointments na something pipo follow well-well to understand di direction im government dey go.

Di retirement of all service chiefs and dia replacements and di appointment of Nuhu Ribadu as di national security adviser (NSA), also top di appointments e don make so far.

Ecowas Chairman

For July, dem elect President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as di chairman of di Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Dem elect am for di 63rd ordinary session of di ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government for Bissau, di capital city of di Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

Since den, coup don happun for Niger and e get to send delegation go di kontri to mediate.

Tinubu travels

Tinubu first official travel as di president of Nigeria na to Paris, France to join im colleagues from across di world to participate for di Paris Summit for New Global Financial Pact.

Since den, e don go Guinea Bissau for di 63rd Ordinary Session of di Authority of Heads of State and Government of di Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and to Nairobi, Kenya, wia e join African leaders for di 5th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting of di African Union.