How Tinubu ran Nigeria during four-week trip abroad

Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima has said President Bola Tinubu remained in regular contact with his administration and received updates on developments in the country during his four-week stay abroad.

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Mr Shettima disclosed this on Saturday after meeting Mr Tinubu at the president’s residence in Lagos, four days after the President returned to Nigeria from his extended working vacation.

The vice president said, while speaking to journalists after his meeting with Mr Tinubu, that he and Mr Tinubu spoke “almost every other day” throughout the president’s stay abroad, with regular updates on developments in the country.

“We have been in regular contact throughout his sojourn abroad,” Mr Shettima said. “We speak almost every other day, and we are updating him. We are updating him on developments in the nation, and we are happy he’s back on the beat.”

The comments provide an insight into how the administration operated while Mr Tinubu was outside the country for about four weeks, during which the president’s absence generated public discussion amid his failure to hand over to the Vice-President.

The presidency had earlier said Mr Tinubu continued to keep in touch with officials at home and directed the affairs of the country while abroad.

It cited, among other decisions, the president’s directive for an independent panel to investigate the deaths of 37 illegal miners in Minna.

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Mr Shettima’s account adds that the president was receiving frequent briefings from his administration throughout his absence.

We appreciate pains Nigerians are going through — Shettima

The vice president also used his meeting with Mr Tinubu to defend the administration’s economic policies, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of the country’s multiple exchange rates.

He said the decisions were taken when the economy was “teetering on the verge of collapse”, arguing that Mr Tinubu had the courage to implement what he described as far-reaching reforms.

“When we assume the mantle of leadership, our foreign reserves was a staggeringly low $3.9 billion that was not enough to import oil for one month,” Mr Shettima said.

“He saved the economy. I want Nigerians to understand this fundamental truism. We are on the road to Caracas. He saved our economy. He saved the nation from falling to pieces.”

Mr Shettima, however, acknowledged the economic difficulties facing Nigerians and said the government is working on measures to reduce the impact of the hardship.

“We appreciate the pains Nigerians are going through, but tough times do not last forever. Tough people do,” he said.

He announced that the federal government would, in the coming weeks, introduce new transport and logistics initiatives in the North-east, including 10,600 electric tricycles and 300 buses and electric taxis.

READ ALSO: Sowore’s AAC sues Tinubu, others over failure to transfer power to Shettima

He said the initiatives were designed to reduce the burden on Nigerians and “ameliorate the sufferings” of people in the region.

Mr Shettima also described the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as a major intervention for students from poor backgrounds, saying the scheme would help students with limited financial means gain access to higher education.

He said the government would continue to introduce programmes aimed at easing the hardship experienced by Nigerians.

“Politics is in the air, but we will combine politics and governance,” Mr Shettima said.

Mr Tinubu left Nigeria on 30 August for London for a working vacation where he spent a week before travelling to Paris, France where he met French President Emmanuel Macron, businessman Vincent Bolloré and other business leaders during his stay.

He also witnessed the signing of an agreement between the Ogun State Government and DP World for a proposed deep seaport and economic zone in Ogun Waterside.

The president returned to Nigeria on 29 September, arriving at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos ahead of Nigeria’s 66th independence celebration.

The president dismissed the concerns about his health as political rumour, and said he is healthy and ready to resume duties.

“Rumor will always be emanating from politics, but the facts remain, I’m here. Healthy, sound, and ready to go,” he said. “I am ready to kick, ready to work. There’s nothing wrong.”