ASO ROCK WATCH: Tinubu’s vow on insecurity. Two other talking points

Last week, President Bola Tinubu restated his stand at terminating insecurity in Nigeria.

Two other stories from the seat of power, Aso Rock Villa, were also reviewed for your reading pleasure.

1. Tinubu’s vow on insecurity

Tinubu, on December 11, asserted that he was never going to lose the battle against insecurity in Nigeria.

The President, who made the vow while speaking at the Chief of Army Staff Annual Conference 2023 in Maiduguri, Borno State, promised to provide the military with the necessary support to flush out the criminals causing unrest in different parts of the country.

Tinubu’s vow, again, provides a clue to the immense pressure confronting the government as it contends with security challenges in the country.

On the flip side, it seeks to calm frayed nerves and reassure citizens that the government is not resting on its oars in managing the lingering insecurity crisis.

While it is assumed that the President is not unaware that Nigerians have grown weary of unfulfilled promises, he would have to ensure that he makes good his promise, even if it requires stepping on powerful toes to achieve it.

2. Tinubu’s confidence on Akpabio, Abbas

On December 14, Tinubu declared that having the needed support of the National Assembly leadership on his side was enough to guarantee the success of his administration.

The President, according to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, stated this at a colloquium to mark the 61st birthday of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in Abuja.

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“Having Senate President Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Right Honourable Abbas, on my side is enough for me to succeed, and we will succeed.” he said.

Tinubu’s statement casts light on the concept of loyalty, and further queries whether the president should bother more about citizens’ loyalty or that of a few henchmen.

In all, the President may have given himself away cheaply which probably explains the notoriety of the National Assembly as a rubber-stamp institution, and its perceived failure to check the Executive arm of government.

Thus, while Tinubu hopes to enjoy a smooth ride with the Assembly, the need to ensure a decent separation of power must be considered a top necessity to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.

3. On provisional minimum wage increment

On December 17, Tinubu promised a fair, and equitable implementation of the approved provisional increment in the minimum wage for Nigerian workers in order to ameliorate the rise in the cost of living.

Tinubu who made the promise during his investiture as the Nation Newspaper Person of the Year, said the upcoming wage structure will be practical, sustainable and implementable by all tiers of government.

“…my administration has approved a provisional increase in the federal minimum wage to N35,000 per month for a six-month period, two months of which have already been paid,” he said.

The President’s move can be described as thoughtful, though it could be argued that the increment would do little in ameliorating the dire economic hardship workers had been subjected to.

However, it is to be said that the execution of the wage policy refreshes the debate on whether the minimum wage structure should be forced on states for implementation as well.

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