The immediate past Speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly, Prince Mathew Kolawole, has said that President Bola Tinubu inherited a rotten economic system and therefore would need more time to settle down and right the wrongs of the past.
He also spoke on the face-off between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yayaha Bello, saying that Bello has sacrificed a lot for the All Progressive Congress and should not be subjected to what he is currently going through.
Kolawole, in an interview with journalists in Lokoja, on Sunday, urged Nigerians to exercise a little more patience as Mr President is working tirelessly to put things right.
Assessing Tinubu’s administration in the last year, the ex-speaker said, “The APC government has come to stay to the best of my knowledge. I also strongly believe that we are in a trying moment as far as the nation’s economy and Nigerians are concerned.
“In actual sense, President Tinubu needs more time to settle down fully because of the rot in the system from where we as a nation are coming from. It will take a while for us as a nation to come out of our challenges. The ongoing reforms may be biting hard, but it is a process to take us to our dreamland.”
Speaking further, he noted that in the last year, we have been going through a lot in the country.
“We have been going through economic reforms though it has been very harsh on the citizens, but the truth is that every man who has contested for one position or the other has his policy to implement.
“He has his objectives and reasons for contesting. The roadmap of President Tinubu, I can assure will take us out of the woods. When we were running up and down for President Tinubu during the electioneering campaigns, he told us without mincing words that he would reform Nigeria, but as it is today everything we are passing through today is part of the reform.
“So I believe very strongly that Nigeria in no distance time will witness more development, more food production that will put food on our tables.”
He added that the present administration has achieved so much in concrete terms, that are visible.
“I will say his performance is excellent. So far so good, because we can see some development in some areas. I think the only complaint Nigerians are having today is in the areas of petroleum and electricity.
“I believe very strongly that Nigerians will also enjoy very soon considering so many laudable policies that the present administration has brought. Very soon, Nigerians will begin to enjoy the dividends of democracy. Nigerians should give President Tinubu more time and also support him because from all indications the President meant well for the citizenry.”
Kolawole who also spoke on the face-off between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the immediate past governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yayaha Bello, said that it’s unfortunate that Bello, who has sacrificed a lot for the All Progressive Congress, especially during the 2023 general election, should not have been subjected to what he is currently going through.
“Frankly speaking, what is happening to former Governor Yahaya Bello today is very unfortunate. This man has sacrificed so much for APC, especially during the 2023 elections. For me, there is nothing wrong with anybody aspiring for any position. If he aspired to be the President of this country then, it is his desire, that shouldn’t have been seen as a reason for his recent persecution in the hands of EFCC by some people who are scared of his rising political influence.
“It is a fact that immediately after he lost the Presidential primary election he supported the candidate of APC which is our leader Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Former Governor Yahaya Bello was the Chairman of various Youth organisations across the country and he mobilised Nigerian Youths to vote for APC in his State Kogi, he delivered 100% to the ruling party APC. He has done a lot for the party.
“I think the problem the former governor has today was a result of some people who are in the corridors of power who are the ones orchestrating his persecution. Unknowing to them, power belongs to Almighty God. I don’t know why some people always try to bring down a growing politician for no reason”, Kolawole added.
