General News of Friday, 2 June 2023
Source: www.mynigeria.com
Fuel subsidy, Political appointment: Four decisions by President Tinubu that Reno Omokri has supported
A collage of Reno Omokri and Bola Ahmed Tinubu
Reno Omokri, an author and aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan has been one of the heaviest critics of the All Progressives Congress (APC) since President Muhammadu Buhari took charge in 2015.
Throughout Buhari's eight years in office, Reno has been one of the biggest critics of his administration - poking holes into some of his major policies and even organizing a series of protests in the diaspora against the former president.
Through his social media handles, Reno was also one of the leading critics of then-candidate Bola Tinubu before he was declared the winner of the February 25 presidential elections.
Reno had always maintained that the former Lagos governor was a "druglord" hence the reason he was arrested by the FBI in the late 1990s.
Despite his heavy criticism of the APC, Reno in an interesting twist has hailed some decisions, inactions and the posture of President Bola Tinubu since his inauguration on Monday, May 29.
He shared his thoughts across his social media handles. All posts below were taken from his Instagram page.
Check out 4 times Reno Omokri had applauded some decisions of the President
1. On Tinubu's appointment of Chief of Staff, Deputy, and SGF
"I like how President Bola Tinubu balanced the two most important appointments in his government between Christians and Muslims, naming George Akume, a Christian Middle-Belter, as his Secretary to the Government of the Federation, and Femi Gbajabiamila, a Muslim Southwesterner, as his Chief of Staff."
"Both men have the necessary educational qualifications and political experience for the positions they are to fill. Round pegs in round holes"
"So far, he is keeping his promise of not Islamising his administration. So far, so good. If he derails, we will give details."
"We will still meet you in court, where I hope our petition to unseat you succeeds. But for now, well done!"
2. Reno Omokri backs President Tinubu's call to remove subsidy
"Whether it is sustaining the removal of fuel subsidy, or the sudden devaluation of the Naira to achieve a single exchange rate parity, there is nothing President Bola Tinubu has done now that would not have been done IMMEDIATELY by the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party, if we had been in his place. Apart from the New Nigeria Peoples Party, we all said we would do it. To start criticising what we would have done will amount to hypocrisy."
"These are excellent and patriotic steps. The only thing he needs to do now is to increase the minimum wage and civil servants' salaries. And by law, he can't do those without the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission and the National Assembly. So, it is understandable that he has not yet done that. If he does not do these in due course, I will organise against him with ferocious energy."
"If President Tinubu makes a wrong move, I will descend on him with the same #BuhariTormentor energy I used on his predecessor. But those expecting me just to oppose him unthinkingly and blindly because he is not in my party, will wait for a very long time."
3. Tinubu's political masterstroke
"Many people don't understand perceptions or the art of influencing human nature. Tinubu has used the fuel subsidy issue and the ripples it has generated to stamp his authority after a disputed election, and unfortunately, it is working. Everybody is griping about Tinubu."
"He is now the centre of attention, the cynosure of all eyes, and Buhari has been forgotten."
"This is a genius mind-control hack. The man has a sordid past dating back to his Chicago activities. But beyond that, he has displayed, in the last 72 hours, very deft political moves that have only ever been matched by President Olusegun Obasanjo and General Babangida in Nigeria's post-independence history. NLC is negotiating with him. Nigerians are chanting his name for good or bad."
"Marketers are looking at his mouth. The Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and the CEO of NNPCL are all in and out of his office. Like Tupac sang, 'All Eyez on Me'. The way he has consolidated power in less than a week will be studied in Harvard and other citadels of learning. Ogbon ju agbara lo!"
4. On making bold statement since his inauguration
"Making a bold statement on subsidy removal and backing it up with action. Meeting Godwin Emefiele, then Mele Kyari. Making a string of appointments. Asserting his authority over the DSS in their face-off with the EFCC."
"Tinubu, unlike Buhari, has hit the ground running. I sincerely pray that our petition will succeed and President Tinubu's election will be nullified. But be that as it may, I must commend the actions of his first 24 hours in office."
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