Vice President, Sen Kashim Shettima has appealed to Nigerians to bear with President Bola Tinubu because he has their best interest at heart.
Shettima urged Nigerians to support the policies and programmes of the Tinubu-led administration.
During a courtesy visit by representatives of northern media practitioners at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Shettima addressed concerns and speculations regarding President Tinubu‘s stance towards the northern region and Islam.
He insisted that the President is neither anti-north nor anti-Islam, as evidenced by his recent key appointments in Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
The Vice President highlighted that current statistics of appointments into MDAs reveal President Tinubu’s commitment to inclusive governance. He pointed out that northerners have been appointed to critical positions in agriculture, security, communications technology, health, and other sectors.
“President Tinubu means well for the North,” Shettima asserted, urging people to disabuse their minds of any misinformation regarding the President’s disposition towards the region.
On the topic of the planned nationwide protest, Shettima acknowledged the constitutional right of citizens to protest but cautioned against potential negative outcomes.
“Protest is the right of the people, but let it be known that historically, it has been hijacked by unscrupulous elements,” he warned, noting that such protests often lead to significant losses.
Shettima also cited specific initiatives aimed at transforming the lives of people in the North. These include the Resettlement Scheme for Persons Impacted by Conflict (RSPIC) and the creation of the Ministry of Livestock Development, which are designed to address pressing issues in the region.
“President Tinubu’s administration has genuine intentions to transform the lives of many in the North through laudable initiatives,” Shettima emphasized.
Shettima added, “Who was instrumental in signing the Northwest Development Commission bill into law and who created the Ministry of Livestock Development? It is this same President. He gave the approval for the launch of the RSPIC Initiative – a non-kinetic approach to the crisis in the northwest region by building an entire ecosystem for victims of the crisis. These policies will have a direct and positive impact on the northern people.
“I want to reiterate this fact, and I am saying it because I know the President’s disposition towards the north. He is a good and just man. He loves the north and is working for its transformation.”
Speaking further about the need for the media to rally around the present administration, the Vice President said that taking to the streets to protest will not guarantee any form of development for the region.
He said, “I am appealing to you to unite and support the development of our region by this present government led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am really soliciting your prayers and support for us at this time in the history of our country. This is not the time to protest.
“We in the north need to promote actions and ideals that are critical to the development of our country; we cannot allow things to degenerate.”
He appealed to the media practitioners to mobilize people of the region to leverage all of the opportunities offered by the Federal Government to transform the lives and livelihoods of the people.
