Three years ago, the Southwest Agenda for Asiwaju (SWAGA), a socio-political group, drummed support for the presidential ambition of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, ahead of the 2023 polls.
Many did not take the group seriously. But it achieved its goal. Following the success of its first mobilisation drive, it has now unfolded plans for the second phase, ahead of 2027 poll.
SWAGA leader, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, said the group is coming out again because the president has performed; he has behaved as a statesman, and not a politician, and he has has demonstrated courage, patriotism and candour.
He told reporters in Lagos that the group decided to come out to mobilise for the president so that he can complete what he has started.
Adeyeye was accompanied by other group leaders, including Deji Jakande, Suraj Adekunbi, Yinka Odufuwa, Nukaila Musa, Gani Onaluka, Niyi Olabiyi,Adetilewa Sijuwade, Yinka Olaiya, who represented Bolanle Akinyemi-Obe, Garuba Fatai, Julius Oloro, Gani Dauda, and Bosun Oladele, the publicity secretary.
During its lunch on December 15, 2020 at Ibadan, capital of Oyo State, the group agitated for power shift to Southern Nigeria, especially the Southwest after the tenure of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Then, Adeyeye told Nigerians that only Tinubu could lead the country on the path to self rediscovery.The mission took SWAGA to the Southwest states and later, Delta, Imo, Cross Rivers, Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, Benue and other states, visiting over 400 palaces to meet traditional rulers, chiefs, and community leaders.
Also, the group made over 300 sensitization stops, visiting workers, market women and men, artisans, students and youth organizations and other interest groups.
The group initiated the sensitisation and mobilisation walk in Akure, Ondo State capital, before other campaigners followed suit.
Reflecting on the initiative, Adeyeye said: “Our slogan: Vision Passion Action, which summarises and encapsulates the personality and philosophy of Asiwaju resonated with the people. When he finally came out to commence his consultations and campaign tours, we went round the country with him. As they say, the rest is history and to God be the glory.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has not disappointed those of us who believed in his vision for Nigeria and his capability to drive the mission.”
Adeyeye, chairman of the board of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), listed the achievements of the president, saying that they are invontrovertible.
He said: “His prompt removal of the corrupt, crippling and evil fuel subsidy that has fleeced the country for decades and robbed it of legacy developmental projects whilst enriching a few and impoverishing the multitude.
“The results are visible in more money to the state coffers and the Ministries, Departments and Agencies across the country. It is noteworthy that every notable Presidential candidate in the last election pledged to remove fuel subsidy but we in SWAGA knew that the only person bold enough among them to hit the ground running about this was Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We were vindicated.
“He floated the Naira and stopped the reckless printing of currency and corrupt borrowing through the unpopular “ways and means” to defend it against the U.S Dollars thus ensuring stability in its value with increased inflow of Foreign Direct Investment aided by confidence in Nigeria’s economy. (Global rating Institutions like Fitch has upgraded Nigeria to “B”. Moody upgraded Nigeria to “B3 while S&P upgraded Nigeria to “B”. Most of these rated Nigeria negatively before now).
“Tinubu has introduced the legacy Student’s Loan scheme through the establishment of NELFUND. This provides students with yearly tuition fee and monthly upkeep allowances. Funding will no longer be a challenge to the tertiary educational hope of any Nigerian Student again.
“The Federal Government has built and is still building across the country thousands of homes for citizens under its renewed hope housing scheme.
“The administration under President Tinubu introduced CNG and invested over N250Billion into it. This has reduced the impact of fossil fuels on our environment whilst providing cheaper transportation alternatives for commuters and motorists and further creating jobs for technicians.
“There has been substantial increase in local production of refined petroleum products with the Dangote refinery and other modular and smaller refineries in operation. Favourable government policies are encouraging unprecedented investment in this sector and, Nigeria is on the way to becoming a net exporter of refined petroleum products. This is a great leap from the economy crushing position of total importation of these products.”
The All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain alluded to the multi-billion naira investment by the Federal Government towards ensuring food security through NALDA. with an initial purchase of 2000 tractors and 10 implements attached to each of them.
He also pointed out that an agreement has been signed to establish a tractor and farm implements assembly centre in the country.
Adeyeye said the President has directed the establishment of the National Credit Guarantee Company to ensure that eligible Nigerians all have access to credit.
Also, the Federal Government has cleared forex backlog claim by foreign airlines, thus crashing the hitherto high cost of tickets for flights from Nigeria. In his view, this has greatly increased the confidence of foreign operators in our aviation sector.
He also said that “Nigeria now exports more than import as evident in the recent trade surplus of about 209.6% amounting to a whopping N18.86. Trillion for 2024.”
Adeyeye added: “Mr President has, apart from paying wage award to civil servants across the country, increased the National minimum wage for workers and even the members of NYSC.
“There are game changing road construction works on going across the country from the iconic Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road project to Badagry- Sokoto expressway and numerous others undergoing reconstruction etc.
“At least, the establishment of 11 new universities have been signed into Law by President Tinubu between 2024 and 2025 thus improving and expanding access to tertiary education.
“The launch of youth-centric 3MTT (Three Million Technical Talents) program has opened doors for Nigerian youth into training on the use of innovation and technology in providing solutions to modern day challenges.
“Abuja, the Federal Capital city that has stagnated in terms of development for decades has witnessed unprecedented infrastructural transformation in the last two years.”
Adeyeye said President Tinubu has introduced a very dynamic and robust tax reforms excusing the lower income earners from tax payment while bringing more organizations and hitherto evasive individuals into the tax net.
He pointed out that the security situation has improved tremendously especially in places like Kaduna State and the Northeast that were hitherto the hotspot of ethno-religious killings and cleansing.
He stressed: “There has been relative calm in the Niger Delta region leading to unprecedented increase in oil production and sales thus earning more income for the country.”
The SWAGA leader noted that the capital market has stabilised as one of the global top performers with increased investor confidence in the economy. Also, he said that electricity generation is now peaking at about 13 Megawatts while the distribution is becoming steady and regular across the country.
He added: “Increased revenue sharing to states and local governments have enabled them to undertake development projects while paying increased salary to workers thus reducing labour restiveness across the country.”
SWAGA listed 14 ongoing legacy road projects under Tinubu led administration. These are: 9th Mile-Oturkpo-Makurdi Road, Sokoto-Badagry Highway, Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano Dual Carriageway, Abuja-Lokoja-Benin Road, Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, Benin – Asaba Super Highway, Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and, Oyo -Ogbomoso Expressway.
Others are: Bose Saadu – Kaima-Kosubosu Road, Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway
Bodo-Bonny Road, Lagos – Ibadan Expressway, and the Second Niger Bridge Access Road.
Adeyeye said: “It is on record that this is the only federal government that has made it a policy to use rigid concrete for the construction of these and other roads in Nigeria.”
The SWAGA leader recalled that in 2020, the group urged President Tinubu to contest. It also sensitised Nigerians to his leadership qualities as the right person to lead the country back to the path of abundance and prosperity.
Adeyeye said: “We hereby make bold to say that since 1999 till date, no Nigerian president has come into office with the kind of preparation, vision and passion that President Tinubu has displayed.”
He added: “We are of the firm conviction that if a government in Nigeria has been able to achieve so much within just two years in office in terms of projects and policies, then Nigerians are in for better and brighter future in four years and ultimately more will be done and the country will experience exponential development and growth in eight years under the visionary and courageous leadership of President Tinubu.”
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