The President’s job is paying off, argues

 RAHEEM ADEDOYIN

” I asked for the Job. “

 That’s Nigeria President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s famous soft jab to his critics. 

 It is both a retort and a reminder of his readiness for the tough job. 

 So, if you are hammering the President with a barrage of criticisms, your punches go well with the demands of his job. Bring it on, No shaking. 

It is no mean feat to be the first real politician to be elected President in modern Nigeria; a viable aspirant to become a viable candidate without being sponsored and a rare candidate to be elected President without Godfathers tying the noose on his neck. 

But ” I asked for the job ” also takes a positive tone within the context of the President knowing the complexity of the job – the hurdles to cross and the determination to succeed. 

Those trenchant critics of the President had their job cut out for them from the beginning. The president fired the first salvo on his inauguration day with a preemptive strike. ” The subsidy is gone”, he announced with gutso to a bewildered nation. Not that Nigerians were ignorant of the ruinous fuel subsidy regime but they were not prepared for the immediacy of the effect of the removal. 

In quick succession, the President fired another missile by announcing the floating of the Naira. While the removal of the fuel subsidy led to a monstrous increase in fuel prices, the floating of the Naira led instantly to a deep depreciation of the naira with the attendant negative effects on Nigerians’ purchasing power .

But here comes the positive side of ” I asked for the job”: Empathy. Readiness. Focus.

Yes, the president asked for the job, he was prepared for the job and he was ready for the tough challenges. 

He unveiled a Renewed Hope Agenda with particular focus and urgency on economic reforms, infrastructural development, security and a new governance culture . 

The agenda set out a clear road map for financial and economic prosperity. While the pains, and groans of the adverse effects of fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange policy are undeniable, there is gradual economic rebound. 

Nigerians, are no longer at the mercy of unconscionable fuel subsidy rogues; fuel queues have become history and the government no longer promotes illicit sweet dollar deals.

Food prices are crashing while Naira is gaining gradually. The government is harvesting more money even if there are worries about how the three tiers of government utilise the financial windfall. 

Mr. President asked for job; he is living with the stress that goes with it but he is also conscious of the people’s expectations on the positive impact of his reform agenda. 

The President’s team seems to have cut the “I asked for the job” bug too. No one exemplifies this more than Lanre Issa- Onilu, the Director General of the National Orientation Agency ( NOA). He asked for the job and is delivering on the promises he made to the president to reposition NOA as a vehicle for public advocacy on citizens rights, duties and good governanance. 

I was curious about Issa-Onilu’s choice when he first told me about it because I knew he was well-positioned for a juicier and more glamorous Job in a Tinubu Administrstion.

NOA was a complete mess but the turn around in effective public communication is obvious and endearing. 

Voice of Nigeria ( VON), headed by ace journalist, Jibrin Ndace has also transformed into a viable national voice on the international plain. 

I do not know if members of the presidential media team asked for the jobs they are now doing. Mr. Bayo Onanuga, the fiery media leader hits hard and gets hit harder. His messaging and style irritate and offend the administration’s harsh critics but the dexterity in his work is undeniable. 

The minister of Information and National Orientation, Mallam Idris Mohammed, wield a soft power. An accomplished newspaper publisher, immediate past Secretary General of the Newspapers, Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria( NPAN) and a leading member of the International Press Institute ( IPI), his media influence and tremendous goodwill serve the administration well.

The President is lucky to have a job that he asked for, a job that he worked for and a job that is paying off for the nation. That is a food for thought for his country men and women. 

The President has set the tone for something that may well become a national creed. Ask for the job and do the job. 

Happy Independence Anniversary. 

 Adedoyin writes from 

Vienna, Austria

​