Tinubu’s Reforms Will Pay Off Despite Current Hardship, Says APGA National Women Leader

The National Women Leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Barr. Mrs. Elizabeth Nwokeocha, ESQ, has defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying the current hardship being experienced by Nigerians is temporary and will eventually give way to economic prosperity.

Nwokeocha, who spoke during a live interview section with Arise news on Tuesday in Abuja, said the reforms introduced by the Tinubu administration were aimed at repositioning the country’s economy, urging Nigerians to be patient with the government.

She acknowledged the economic difficulties facing citizens but maintained that reforms often come with initial challenges.

“The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has done very well, to my own estimation.

“The policies that he has rolled out are going to reform the economy of this country. When change is being undertaken, initially it will seem very difficult.

“Pain will arise, hardship will arise, but later, when the reforms begin to yield results, people will begin to enjoy. I know it is going to happen very soon because the reforms are geared towards making Nigeria a prosperous country,” she said.

Speaking on the President’s social intervention programmes, particularly those targeted at women, Nwokeocha described Tinubu as a leader who has consistently demonstrated support for women’s inclusion in governance.

She recalled his tenure as Governor of Lagos State, where he appointed a female deputy governor and expanded opportunities for women in public office.

“The current President is a women-friendly President. When he was Governor of Lagos State, you could see the impact he made in bringing women on board. His deputy governor was a woman and that set the pace. Many women began to occupy elective and appointive positions” , she said.

On concerns over worsening hunger and the rising cost of living, Nwokeocha insisted that the President has remained responsive to the plight of Nigerians.

According to her, the administration has introduced several measures to cushion the effects of the economic reforms, although many Nigerians may not yet have felt their impact.

“From my own standpoint, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a very responsive President. He listens to the cry of the masses and has put a lot of things in place to better the lot of suffering Nigerians.

“People may say they are not seeing it, but there are many measures being put in place to reduce the hardship,” Nwokeocha said.

She also blamed insecurity for worsening food shortages, noting that farmers have been unable to maximise agricultural production because of security challenges.

“We are witnessing hunger and pain, partly because insecurity has hindered agricultural production. But the government has continued to put safety nets in place to ameliorate the suffering. I believe that, with time, the hardship will reduce,” she said.

Nwokeocha expressed optimism that the government’s economic policies would eventually deliver the expected benefits and improve the welfare of Nigerians.

In a related development, the APGA National Woman Leader Barr. Mrs Elizabeth Nwokeocha has equally applauded the various life lifting initiatives of the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, particularly her economic empowerment and welfare interventions through her signature pet project, the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI).

She noted with pride that the first lady had since assuming office, paid greater attention to promoting women’s financial independence, health, education, and political inclusion across all that 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Still on public governance, the APGA National Women Leader has also commended the Executive Governor of Anambra State, Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo for actively prioritising women’s inclusion in governance through strategic political appointments, constitutional advocacy, and social empowerment policies in Anambra State.

Barr.Mrs. Nwokeocha said the Soludo-led administration’s commitment to promoting gender equity in all sectors was an investment in better public governance rather than a mere favor for women in the state.

The APGA National Women Leader expressed satisfaction that women now occupy high profile executive offices in Anambra State, including the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), the Head of the State Civil Service, and the State Commissioner for Women Affairs.

She added that Governor Soludo’s belief in the competence of female leaders has also actively expanded the political space for women in Anambra State by ensuring that many of them serve as Deputy Mayors across most of the state’s 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs); noting that this is a clear pointer to the integration of women in high decision making process.