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Abia State Governor Alex Otti has defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying the hardship currently experienced by Nigerians is the result of years of poor economic decisions rather than the reforms themselves.
Otti stated this on Tuesday while receiving the First Lady, Remi Tinubu, who was in Abia to celebrate the state’s Akwete weaving heritage.
The governor asked the First Lady to convey his appreciation to the president, commending him for taking what he described as bold but necessary decisions to reform the economy.
Otti said Tinubu demonstrated courage by removing the petrol subsidy and allowing the naira to float in 2023, noting that the policies had freed up funds for the federal, state and local governments.
According to him, the reforms have enabled many states to meet salary obligations, invest in infrastructure, and support productive economic activities rather than consumption.
“I want to also plead with you to take our felicitations to His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
“I want you to please thank him. Thank him for his courage. Thank him for the sacrifices. Some people may not understand; it takes a man with courage to do what he did in 2023: remove petroleum subsidy and follow suit with the floating of the naira.
“What has that done? That has freed up a lot of funds that would have been used in financing consumption to doing other things in the federal government, in the states, and in the local governments.
“And today, a lot of states are not owing salaries. A lot of states are able to build infrastructure. A lot of states are able to empower people to produce rather than consume,” he added.
He acknowledged that the policies had brought short-term pain but argued that such consequences were inevitable when correcting longstanding economic distortions.
The governor said the hardship being experienced across the country should be viewed as the outcome of previous policy failures, expressing confidence that the economy would gradually adjust over time.
“Now, make no mistakes about it: every courageous decision, every courageous action has its own consequences, so if you remove subsidy and if you float the naira, it will take its toll, and over time the economy will begin to correct,” he added.
“So what you see that people interpret as hardship today are a fallout of previous bad behaviour.”
Otti also reaffirmed that Abia remains open to all Nigerians, irrespective of ethnicity or political affiliation, stressing that good governance transcends party lines.
