Marcel Ngogbehei, a former coordinator of the Obidient Movement, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying the country must endure short-term hardship to secure long-term stability.
Mr Ngogbehei, now Director-General of the Tinubu Movement for Sustainable Governance Foundation, TMS, spoke on Tuesday in Abuja at a press conference organised by the group to explain the administration’s policies and projects.
He said the forum was intended to promote an open and factual discussion of the challenges inherited by the administration, the measures taken to address them and their short- and long-term implications.
Mr Ngogbehei said the group was not defending Mr Tinubu as an individual but examining whether the decisions taken by his administration were appropriate under the circumstances.
“Part of what we’re doing is interrogating these reforms, these initiatives of this present administration. We are not defending Tinubu as a person. We are looking at the initiatives he has taken and asking ourselves whether, based on the circumstances in which he got into power, are they the right moves or the wrong moves?” he said.
He argued that the president had demonstrated the courage to take decisions previous administrations avoided, adding that Nigerians should assess the reforms based on their intended outcomes rather than their immediate effects.
“If you say they are the wrong moves, if you were there, what would you do differently? If you say it’s the right moves, then why antagonise him? Why don’t you respect the fact that he has moved in the right direction? He’s bold enough to take initiatives that most leaders have run away from,” he said.
Mr Ngogbehei recalled that in 2013, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, then coordinating minister of the economy, warned about the risks associated with continued borrowing and the use of Ways and Means financing.
He said Nigeria needed decisive leadership to end fuel subsidy payments and address what he described as monetary recklessness.
According to him, although the reforms have imposed immediate hardship on citizens, Nigerians must consider whether to bear the cost now or leave a greater economic burden for future generations.
He called for a national conversation based on facts about the state of the economy before Mr Tinubu assumed office, the measures introduced by his administration and their likely long-term consequences.
Mr Ngogbehei also said his organisation supported freedom of speech, expression and assembly, while advocating peace and order.
Speaking at the event, Ibrahim Said Uba, the foundation’s National Director of Mobilisation and Data Management, said TMS was established to educate Nigerians about government projects and policies intended to benefit citizens in the short and long term.
Mr Uba said economic indicators, including gross domestic product (GDP), showed developments in the economy, dismissing claims that the government had abandoned Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy.
He cited the federal government’s cash transfer programme, the student loan scheme and efforts to maintain stable academic calendars in tertiary institutions as examples of measures aimed at easing citizens’ difficulties.
According to him, the student loan scheme has recorded more than 1.5 million beneficiaries.
On food security and insecurity, Mr Uba said the government had introduced measures to reduce food prices and supplied military equipment to strengthen the fight against insecurity.
He claimed that the measures were already producing results.
The TMS official also challenged opposition figures, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, to acknowledge the administration’s efforts, arguing that it was implementing measures previous governments should have taken.
He added that road construction projects were ongoing in several states.
The group said it would continue its nationwide sensitisation campaign on the administration’s reforms, urging Nigerians across political divides to engage in constructive dialogue without promoting division.