President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Friday declared that the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, under the supervision of the suspended governor, Godwin Emefiele, was “rotten”.
He spoke during an interactive session with Nigerians resident in France and neighbouring European countries on the sidelines of the New Global Financing Pact Summit in the French capital, Paris.
He also declared that removal of petrol subsidy was not included in his inaugural address, but he summed up the courage to announce it.
Speaking further on the tenure of Emefiele, he said many Nigerians abroad were unable to send money to their relatives because of the multiple exchange rates, saying all that have become a thing of the past.
“Then the financial system was rotten. Few people making bags of our money and then you yourself, you stopped sending money home to our poor parents. Several windows… but that is gone now, is gone.
“The man is in the hands of authorities, something is being done about that, they will sort themselves out.”
He said his speech writers led by Wale Edun did not include removal of petroleum subsidy in his speech on inauguration day, adding that regardless, he found courage and announced it at the ceremony in Eagle Square.
He said his aides still did not believe what he did until he called the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and told them that the subsidy was gone.
Speaking on the decision to end the payment of petrol subsidies, he argued: “Making just a few smugglers rich. Some countries were bleaching us. Courage was missing. Sometimes, I became an advocate of it. Remove this thing but God gave me the opportunity when I danced around, strategised with my team, we won the presidency.
“And the day I was declared winner I fell almost sick with joy. The few friends visited me rejoicing. So I asked the question, you asked me to bring this trophy, this victory what do you do with it?
“I brought it. I won. We must achieve with it. We must change Nigeria with it.
“And then Wale Edun and co, we started debating, putting my speech together without the question on subsidy. I got to the podium, I was possessed with courage and I said subsidy is gone.
“They thought it was a joke of the century until I called NNPC. We are tired of feeding smugglers, making a few people rich and subsidising the next door neighbour.”
President Tinubu assured of a better future for Nigerians, saying that he would not discriminate against those who voted and not voted for him as he has become the president of all Nigeria.
He added: “To all of you, our hope is rewarded. To all of you, the courage is here. And the promise of a better future is a must for us. I am here on a dual carriageway. How do i respond to the new question of environmental challenges?
“How do I present my case for Nigeria whose dependency on fossil fuel is being challenged?
“I have transportation challenges, electricity challenges, infrastructural challenges just to name a few. And I have a giant elephant in the house. Do i let it out without bringing the house down. We are focused.
“Nigeria belongs to all of us. Our diversity is an asset if we know how to use it for our prosperity. Born of the same father, in the same house except living in different rooms. We must promote unity, stability and economic justice for every one of us.
“Thank you. Whether you voted for me, or you didn’t vote for me, campaigned for me, or you didn’t campaign for me. I am your president. By the grace of God, I have to work on your behalf and make Nigeria a turning point for prosperity.
“So your president is here. I dance for it and I have to continue to be prepared for it.
“The challenges are enormous do but we have hope? Yes. With perseverance, determination and persistency we can achieve whatever we desire.
“It is clear to me, I know the road and I’ve been through what many of you have been through outside the country.
I’ve been in America, in the UK, I have been a night guard, security, a door man in America. But I have achieved my aim.”
“Wale Edun and I, and the team, we have that record in Lagos state. We inherited an internally generated revenue of only N600 million, is over N50 billion every month now and Lagos is on autopilo. Anybody intelligent enough can navigate it.”
