Ayobamiji Komolafe 
Minister Of Information And National Orientation, Mohammed Idris
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris has reaffirmed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration never aims to cause hardships for Nigerians.
Idris who made this remark on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing the Diplomatic Community on the recent nationwide protests during a meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that Tinubu’s objective is to rectify poor policies and dysfunctional choices that have historically hindered Nigeria’s progress.
He said, “It is important to kick off on this note that President Tinubu did not come to office to cause hardship or make life difficult for Nigerians.
“He has come to office with bold solutions to historical problems; with the determination to correct many of the poor policies and dysfunctional choices that have held us back as a nation for decades.”
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The Minister highlighted that Tinubu assumed office during one of Nigeria’s most challenging periods, with the country spending 97% of its revenue on debt service, coupled with widespread poverty, rising unemployment, dilapidated infrastructure, and insecurity.
“The President assumed office during one of Nigeria’s most challenging periods in its history, where the country was spending 97% of all its revenue on debt service; coupled with widespread poverty, rising unemployment, dilapidated infrastructure, and insecurity.”
Idris further noted that the administration has taken decisive actions and implemented long-overdue reforms to prevent the economy from collapsing.
The Minister explained that for decades, the unsustainable fuel subsidy regime had prevented Nigeria from investing in critical infrastructure and social services. Consequently, President Tinubu made the painful decision to abolish the fuel subsidy, redirecting funds toward sectors such as healthcare, education, infrastructure, and security.
Acknowledging the transitional pains resulting from the withdrawal of the fuel subsidy and the harmonization of foreign exchange rates, Idris assured that the Federal Government has designed comprehensive intervention programs to alleviate these challenges.
“We have been very determined to ensure that these interventions are fully implemented and bring the intended relief to Nigerians,” he said.
Regarding the nationwide protests, Idris reaffirmed the government’s respect for the right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
However, he pointed out that peaceful protests in some states and the Federal Capital Territory were hijacked by elements who orchestrated violent activities, resulting in the loss of lives and property.
“There were reports of arson, vandalism, looting, and clashes with law enforcement agents in several cities. Tragically, these incidents led to the loss of innocent lives and significant damage to properties,” Idris stated.
The Minister assured that the Federal Government acted swiftly to restore peace and order, with security forces exercising maximum restraint and adhering to international standards in managing civil protests.
He also announced that the government has launched an investigation into the violence that occurred during the protests to identify and bring to justice those responsible.
“We are committed to preventing the recurrence of such unfortunate incidents in the future,” Idris concluded.
