A former presidential aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Abdul-Jhalil Tafawa-Balewa, has urged Nigerians to exercise patience with President Bola Tinubu, stating that he inherited a nearly bankrupt nation and is making efforts to address its problems.
In an interview with journalists on Sunday in Lagos, Tafawa-Balewa emphasized that reviving a country on the brink of collapse is an enormous challenge.
He acknowledged that while Tinubu is trying to steer the country in the right direction, more needs to be done to tackle the numerous issues facing Nigeria.
Tafawa-Balewa called on President Tinubu to reduce the cost of governance in order to free up resources for national development. He suggested that cutting unnecessary spending would be a crucial first step toward economic recovery.
He also advised Tinubu to reinforce his administration with skilled technocrats capable of helping to implement his development agenda.
He further argued that the current number of ministries, approximately 48, should be reduced to cut down on excessive government spending.
According to Tafawa-Balewa, “The President needs to be able to move with the times and put people that have moved out or have learned new technologies to be able to manage the different ministries.
“I think we have too many ministries, about 48, that need to be slimmed down because a lot of money is being used to run these ministries.
“We just need to be able to slim down the number of ministers.”
In addition, Tafawa-Balewa emphasized the need for improved security to curb kidnappings, insurgency, and other threats, which he said are hindering agricultural productivity.
He argued that without security, Nigeria cannot boost food production, and he highlighted the importance of using technology for food preservation and distribution.
