Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to Bola Tinubu, has refuted claims that Tinubu is serving as Nigeria’s substantive petroleum minister.
Onanuga clarified this on Sunday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
When asked whether the president intended to retain the title of “Minister of Petroleum,” Onanuga responded emphatically, asserting that Tinubu has never referred to himself as such.
He further noted that the country already has two appointed ministers overseeing the oil sector’s operations.
“I think I have answered this question somewhere. The President has never called himself the Minister of Petroleum. You people in the media gave him that position. We have two ministers there. One of them focuses on gas. That’s an area this government found in the past that Nigeria neglected the gas sector. Nigeria is more of a gas country than an oil country.
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“Just recently, former President Obasanjo said he made a mistake during his time by not focusing on gas. President Tinubu is rectifying that by making sure that we are focusing now on gas. The president supervises all his ministers. All of them. He is in charge of everything including all the ministries under him,” Onanuga stated.
He noted that Tinubu is not unaware of the struggles Nigerians face, countering accusations that the president is indifferent to citizens’ hardships.
“President Tinubu feels the pain of Nigerians and assures them that relief is on the horizon. Some have resorted to calling him ‘T-pain’ out of mischief, but he is not that. He’s here to heal, not to hurt.
“The President has never shied away from acknowledging that Nigerians are going through difficult times. He is working tirelessly to provide relief and ensure that the nation moves towards a future of prosperity.
“This is a painful transition, but it’s part of a long-term strategy to stabilize and grow the economy,” Onanuga clarified.
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