By Matilda Ikediobi
Former Regent of Warri Kingdom and son of Nigeria’s first Finance Minister, the late Chief Festus Okotie-Eboh, Prince Emmanuel Okotie-Eboh,has said that given the performance of President Bola Tinubu in the last four years, he deserves to be re-elected.
Okotie-Eboh said if Tinubu is re-elected in the 2027 elections, the reforms he has introduced over the last four years would mature and become more beneficial to Nigerians.
According to him, who said this in a chat with Sunday Vanguard, Nigeria’s foreign reserves, which had fallen to their lowest level, have risen to an all-time high of $52.5 billion, the highest level in 17 years, describing the development as a major boost to investors’ confidence.
His words: “I have been privileged to witness the transformation of Nigeria at close quarters. I have seen regimes come and go. I have also witnessed the rise and fall of leaders. Some came with genuine intentions for change but could not meet their aspirations. I have also been observing President Bola Tinubu closely since he became President on May 29, 2023, and how he has shepherded the affairs of this country with a lot of boldness and focus.
“I have also seen our foreign reserves, which had fallen abysmally to their lowest, rise to an all-time high of $52.5 billion, which is the highest level in 17 years and a big boost to investors’ confidence. I believe another four years of President Tinubu will take the nation to unprecedented heights. The reforms have been tough on the people, but it is heart-warming to observe, as the President said, that ‘we have turned around the corner’, having inherited a weak economy in May 2023. There is hope for the country, and this can be seen from the record of foreign investments coming into the country.
“Although the debts are still relatively high, they are being serviced when due, and foreign obligations are being met from time to time. There was a time foreign airlines were not honouring our naira payments because of their inability to repatriate their money to their countries. Such is the level of improvement that has taken place. Reports from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank and other reputable international bodies have also given credit to Bola Tinubu for the improvement in the economic sector.
“The Central Bank Governor also earned the African Banker of the Year award. The numbers, figures and algorithms are showing a lot of progress. It remains now for the people to begin to enjoy the dividends through improvements in their social welfare packages, which he will surely deliver in the next four years. He has started this with increased welfare for our military personnel, whose salaries have been increased by between 35 and 75 per cent.”
“The concentration has been on the Federal Government, but people are forgetting that there is no state that owes workers’ salaries anymore. They are now embarking on capital development projects on their own.
“This was confirmed by the Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, who is one of the performing governors of this dispensation. Apart from the fact that there is no viable opposition, there is no one who can hold the country together like Bola Tinubu today. He sticks to performers, whether they are from his APC party or not. He brings together people of diverse backgrounds and performers like Nyesom Wike, who is doing a good job in Abuja.”
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