 A few days ago President Bala Tinibu crossed the symbolic 100 days in office which coincided with the delivery of judgments on the petition against the victory of the presidential election petition tribunal. The first 100 days of President Bala Tinibu and his administration have been laced with praise and blame. Upon the inauguration on May 29, 2023, President Tinibu vowed to revamp the economy with renewed hope slogan, but the ripple effects of his economic policies leave Nigerians with a sweet and sour taste. Joining us to discuss this is John Desmond, he's a member of the APCC Media and Publicity Directorate. Also joining us is Kairi Salako, he's a former chairman of the Labour Party. Gentlemen, thank you so much for joining us and good evening. Yes, sir. Good evening. I'm going to start with you, sir, because you're a member of the APC. Let's start by looking at what you think or how well you think the president has fed in his 100 days in office. One of the very first things that the president said that reverberated across the country is subsidy is gone. And here we are 100 days after, 100 days into his administration, Nigerians seem to be agonizing about the situation of things. But as an insider, tell us exactly where you think or how well you think Mr. President has done so far. Thank you very much. One of the activities to mark the 100 days is a big congratulations to Nigerians today. You might have heard that the president was in UAE today and had a meeting with the leaders of that country and they have just lifted a ban on a visa restriction on Nigerians. You know, that is another milestone for our nations to mark the 100 days of President Tinnable in office. Now, let me say that, what are the major highlights, major achievements of his administration so far in these 100 days? The first was subsidy that has been holding the whole nation to ransom. At the inauguration day, he said the subsidy is gone and is gone forever. So far so good, the president has put some major, you know, in forms of palliatives, in forms of grants to state to cushion the effect. Look at the appointments, what the constitutional appointment, what the executive appointment, look at the how widely spread, how accepted, how happy Nigerians are. Look at programs that have been rolled out. So far so good, students loan has been rolled out. When this president noticed that Nigerians are not happy with some of the policies that were being rolled out, he immediately came on stage through a national brokers and let us know that this is not a one-man show. This is a people-oriented president. I am a people's president and he talked to us immediately, look at the communications between him and the governors and the ministers. You know, it is a welcome development. 100 days is not the total day, but in 100 days he has started on a good note and Nigerians are happy. We, our party from the APC, we believe everybody is now seeing what it means to have hope renewed in the Nigeria that we believe. So in 100 days, to refer to all of us, the president is on a good course and we hope that is going to learn well. Interesting, I want to take you back to the issue of subsidy. Now you said that Nigerians should be excited that hope is being renewed. What hope exactly is being renewed? The naira to the dollar is almost a thousand. The cost of living is very high. It's hit the roof and it's going beyond the roof. As we speak right now, a lot of people have not necessarily been able to afford to go to their places of work as they used to. Like I said, transportation has modern doubled, even though they've said that some states like Lagos state have subsidized public transportation, only for those who are taking public transportation. Again, school fees are being increased and the value of the naira is too low. Let's talk also about, you know, the situation that we have in terms of the subsidy removal. Is subsidy really gone? And the picture that was painted to the average Nigerian about this removal of subsidy was to reduce the corruption in the sector and make it easier for us to access this crude. But unfortunately, that's not necessarily the case. The issue of corruption I know cannot be done in one day. So again, subsidy is gone, but poverty for Nigerians have come to stay. A lot of people have now categorized Nigerians into three different categories. The rich, the poor, the poorest of the poor, and of course those who have no hope. Wow. This is your analysis tonight. It's interesting. But then what is the effect of subsidy on our nation? Money that will have been used for infrastructure development to reduce the future poverty rate, to build and develop institutional framework for prosperity has been in the hand of few individuals who have not been using it. From the removal of subsidy, what was the fact allocation after the removal of subsidy in our nation is 1.9 trillion naira. Subsequently, the fact begins to grow. This is just three months after. So the money got from subsidy cannot be used to transform Nigeria overnight. But this money, as time goes on, are going to be put into infrastructure development. Should the president have thought about the cushioning effects before he openly talks about, no, sorry, just hold on, should the president have thought about, because of course I'm guessing that whoever wants to be the president of this country knows the situation of things, should the president have considered these so-called palliatives or cushioning effects? I hate palliative because that word makes it look like we're begging for something. Should he have considered that before going on with this statement of palliative, rather, subsidy is gone, as opposed to now having to backtrack and look for ways to ameliorate the suffering. How many people can these five billion that have been given to states really get to? Palliatives to cushion the effect cannot solve the problem of poverty. It's important to know palliative are just immediate job to enable you prepare to get used to the system and make alternative to succeed and survive within the system. That's number one. Number two, we have heard from our nation history that removing subsidy has been a great challenge for every leader that has come and gone. So where do we need to begin from? We need to attack it the way it comes. Okay. And thank God the president was bold, the president was confident enough and get it done. Now, where we are now is what can we do to quickly get out of the country? And that is why the president said, okay, no, let's get this on the table. We are not going to live with palliative. Okay. But to cushion the effect, the imminent effect, state make five billionaires. Okay. It's not left for those who got billionaires to invest it to invest it to change the life of the citizen in the future. Okay. All right. Please for to take this one. Okay. Get used to the system and adjust to the system. That is the essence of palliative. Mr. Desmond, just hold on. Just hold on. I'm going to come back to you and tackle you a bit more on this issue of palliatives. Mr. Salakot, let me come to you. You obviously are of the Labor Party. You, again, you have been hit hard by the verdict of the PEPT, which has solidified Mr. President's position as indeed the President of the Federal Republic. But then, again, the country has to move on. The 100 days of Mr. President is what we're looking at now. And I want to quickly quote the Honorable Minister for Information, Mohamed Idris, who noted that the country's public debts, both local and foreign, coupled with the unsustainable fuel subsidy regime created by, created a gaping hole rather in public finance and rendered three tiers of government insolvent. But he says, in solving that problem, Mr. Tinibu took a bold, courageous decision to remove fuel subsidy to avert a national economic catastrophe of epic proportions. Does that not necessarily describe the situation that we're in right now? I might be wrong, but please correct me. Yeah, thank you very much. Good evening, Nigerians. And I want to tell my brother on this show to congratulate Nigerians for the successful running of the country by Mr. President, the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinibu. Let me also say this, that I am no longer a member of Labour Party. I told the person who reached out to me to be on this show in the evening that, yes, I am the immediate past State Chairman of Labour Party. So it makes me a former Chairman of Labour Party, but I have still come back to my party, which is the All Progressive Congress, APC. Interesting. So, I am a chieftain of APC. Okay. Right now. I'm no longer a Labour Party. Ah, perfect. So go ahead and answer my question, please. Yes, I have to let you first, I have to clarify that. Because I'm on 10. Quite well taken. Now, to come back to your question, to come back to your question, Mr. President is a man that Nigerians should have faith, keep faith, with his capability and ability to deliver on his promises today and tomorrow of Nigeria. He is a man that his capacity has never been enough. I'm sorry, Mr. Salakot. Do you need me to ask the question again, because I don't think you got my question. First, 100 days as dawn is appointed in Nigeria like me. Because it is not always easy to be a change agent in a peculiar society, such as Nigeria. Okay. Mr. President, in everything, a peculiar situation, which you and I and attest to. The situation of Nigeria was a very critical, economically, politically, socially. Mr. Salakot, can you hear me? The winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission. So he has taken both moves. He has taken both steps. Steps that are not taken, then there is no hope of survival. Okay. So these steps that the presidents have taken. I'm going to ask you my question again, because you did not hear me. I know that you want to praise seeing the president, but let's go back to the question that I asked. I'm so sorry. Hold on. Let me ask my question again. Mr. Salakot, can I ask my question again? I did read you a statement by the Information Minister, and of course, the situation of the economy. And I asked you a simple question. What the minister described, is that not the situation that we're in right now? What situation it is right now? I'm sure you didn't hear my question, but let me read it again. Well, the minister said that the president took a bold and courageous step to remove fuel subsidy to avert national economic catastrophe of epic proportions. And I'm asking, isn't that a description of somewhat of a description of what we're experiencing right now as a country in the space of 100 days? That is exactly what I've been saying. That is exactly what I've been saying. I've been talking in response to what the minister has said. He has taken bold decisions, bold steps, bold decisions, and he has the notion of the way he has operated so far. A critical problem means critical submission. And it is, I'm going to say it is a bold man like president Bola Chinungu, who could come out, take over the affairs of governance at the federal level in Nigeria, and start setting the power rolling immediately by taking such bold steps. He has taken courageous decisions and I want to assure Nigeria that those decisions are going to pay off on the long run. So now in the short term, Mr. Shahlaka, yes, in the short term, in the short term, because I always like to see, I like to talk about, you know, quick goals that we can achieve before we talk about the long term. In the short term, Mr. President has asked Nigerians over and over again to be patient with him, to manage. Again, I go back to the 5 billion that have been given to states and we hear here in Lagos, several people have complained about the fact that these allege rather that these so-called palatives have been given to their friends and their cronies and members of the all-progressive Congress. Let's even say that these are allegations. How many people can these so-called palatives, you know, get to? How many people can benefit from it? How long can this last for, I mean, for those who are getting dairy cuts of rice and some people are getting gary, et cetera, et cetera, how long can it last them? And for those who do not categorize as the poorest of the poor, for the others who their businesses have been affected, for the people who no longer have the purchasing power as they used to, for those who take home pay no longer is able to take them home, what happens to them in the interim? Because whether we like it or not, everything that's biting is biting everyone, except for those who probably are, you know, in power, who don't necessarily have to buy fuel, who don't necessarily have to deal with the situation of things that we're dealing with. What happens in the interim? How can our situation be addressed right now? While we wait for Mr. President's long-term plan, what can be done in the short term? Please don't tell me that. Let me say this. Let me say this, please. That there is no gain sometimes if there is no pain. Even before President Zinoumuk came on board, Nigerians have been complaining. Nigerians have been going through what they are going through now. During President's opposition period, Nigerians complained of the same passion. That was the reason the man couldn't get the third time opportunity to continue to run Nigeria. Nigerians complained during his time. During President Zinoumuk's last time, Nigerians complained. During President Zinoumuk's last time, Nigerians complained. I want to go back to Mr. Desmond, but let me come in there. Since we want to compare governments, what was the value of the Naira under Abbasanjah's administration, under the Good Lockdown Administration? What was Nigeria's earning rate in terms of crude compared to what it is today, since we want to make those comparisons? By saying that Nigerians are complaining, were things as bad as they are today as compared to those governments, since we're making comparisons? You're going through the hardship now or you were going through the hardship then? Okay, perfect. Thank goodness you know that. So, in the face, in the life of a country that is still looking for how to get a very right economically, in the face, I was a little boy. When a musician sang it, the late Victor Laya, he was a high-line musician, he sang it in Yoruba language. I was a little boy then. When he sang it, I was a little boy then. And up to now, the lyrics and content of that song, that message, that song, is irrelevant. That is to let you know that globally, as life progresses, things tend to be, you know, when we are complaining that Nigeria is the same way my people, my family members, friends, are complaining about the situation of economy in the UK. Can you compare, can you compare? It's very interesting how it's very easy for you to compare. It's very easy for you to quickly compare yourself to other parts of the world where they have the basics that they need in their country. What are the basic amenities that you have been able to access in this country? Do you have 24 hours light? How is your transportation system? What are the road infrastructures like? It's very easy for us to compare ourselves. No, no, no. That was a rhetorical question. I wasn't asking you to answer, but I'm sorry. Hold on. That was a rhetorical question. I didn't need your response. I want to go back to Mr Desmond now. I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Mr Salako. Can we take, I want us to go to Mr Desmond quickly. Mr Desmond, what are the things that we get? I'm sorry, Mr Salako. Please let Mr Desmond speak. Can we let Mr Desmond speak, please? Thank you very much. Mr Desmond, what are the things that Nigerians can hold on to under President Tinnable's 100 days in office? What are those things that people can hold on to in terms of the hope that you have been talking about? What can they hold on to and hope upon that maybe in the next two to three months or maybe before the year wraps that they might be able to breathe actually some form of fresh air? Thank you very much for this question. Mr Desmond, are you still there? Can you hear me? Father, in the past 100 days, you see that during the executive appointment, the widespread, the acceptance of the people that this has led to restoration of national ethnic dignity. And merely after the executive appointments, people no longer talk about nepotism. The word nepotism sees from public space in Nigeria. Okay, because we need to hold on to something to drive us to our destination. That's number one. Number two, job creation. The challenge of our nation is, as you were saying to Salaki, it's our inability to develop the basics of human development. Sixty years ago, between 1939 and 1943, the United States of America was under depression, not recession. That's it. It was on the ground. Mr. Salaki, would you please let him speak? Thank you. That means that so far they know a lot that instead of categorizing them, looking at the recession they are facing, they move from recessionary face to depressionary face. Sixty years after, that country is among the top nation on earth. So the second thing that Nigeria should renew their hope with is infrastructural and institutional framework for development by the grace of God, as it has started in Lagos then. They also launched their blue rail. The minister of FCT, the president told him, I want to ride on your blue rail. The state government, the party that has given to them form a ground, they should not use that money, that five billion dollar for consumption. They should deploy it into key infrastructure development, short-term infrastructure development. Excuse me, in Abuja, the cost of riding on Kanu Line to Abuja is 5,500 million. That is Kanu Line, yes. I wish a dope line is still available at the line. No, we need to look at the future. Okay. All right. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. Our time is up. I want to thank you gentlemen. I'm so sorry we have to go. But I want to say thank you. Jonathan Desmond is a member of the APC, PCC media and publicity directories. He is former chairman of the Labour Party who is now a member of the All Progressive Congress. Thank you so much, gentlemen, for being part of the conversation. Unfortunately, time is not on our side. Thank you very much. All right. We'll take a quick break. We'll take a quick break now. And when we come back, we'll be discussing the NNPP and of course the recent troubles within the party. Stay with us.