Information Minister Pledges Support For Positive Initiatives For Nat’l Devt

The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mr Mohammed Idris has pledged to support initiatives that will bring Nigerians together for progress and national development.

Mr. Idris made the pledge in Abuja when he received the management of the Progressives Institute, led by the Director General, Dr. Lanre Adedayo, on a courtesy visit to his office.

The Minister stressed that the present administration is not working for the APC but for all Nigerians and commended the Progressive Institute on their initiative on the proposed skill acquisition conference.

“The government is ready to support you if what you are doing out there is for the benefit of all Nigerians. That is what we are here for.”

He added that the Tax Reform bill proposed by the President, is not intended to place any part of the country at a disadvantage, rather, it is designed to promote inclusive growth and stimulate economic activities across the nation, in line with President Tinubu’s commitment to equitable development and prosperity for all Nigerians.

The Minister said constructive engagement with stakeholders and the public on any policy of the government would ensure that policies are well-aligned with the needs and aspirations of citizens.

“Let’s take the Tax Reform for example, that has generated so much debate with some people saying that the debate is against government policy. I think that these are healthy debates that all of us are having so that we can make this bill better. For anyone who thinks that debate and putting out policy are mutually exclusive, I think that’s wrong.”

“There will always be the opportunity to have a healthy debate so that whatever the government puts forward, can be made better. In any case, this is being done for the benefit of all Nigerians. Therefore, Nigerians have the democratic right to interrogate government policies, provided the commentaries are healthy and are geared towards making the policies better.”

Idris said the reforms that the President instituted are bold and tough, but the surest way to fulfil his campaign promise of promoting progress and prosperity for all Nigerians.

“Reforms are usually tough, usually hard, but once they are followed through, they deliver extraordinary results and we know that the direction that this government is going, we are extremely confident that all the reform processes that the President has instituted, will take us to the desired destination,” he stated.

The Minister expressed delight that so far, Nigerians are beginning to see the benefits of the reforms, especially through the recent positive indices provided by the National Bureau of Statistics on the performance of the economy.

In his remarks, the Director General, Dr. Adedayo, said for the first time in the history of political parties in Nigeria, the APC floated the Institute to serve as a think-tank and provide the intellectual foundation for capacity building, leadership recruitment, and research on policies of the administration.

Dr. Adedayo commended the minister for his strategic and effective approach to communicating the policies and programmes of the Tinubu administration, noting that it is neither combative nor reactionary.

Florence Adewale, Edited By Grace Namiji