By Emmanuel Kehinde, Ilorin
A former Kwara State governorship aspirant, Engineer Sunday Adebayo Babalola has urged President Bola Tinubu to implement policies that would strengthen the naira.
He also said the federal government should fight insecurity, reduce unemployment and create a friendly environment for the growth of businesses.
He spoke in an interview with journalists in Lagos on Thursday.
Babalola, a former Deputy Director of the defunct Department of Petroleum Resources, advised President Tinubu not to be fooled by sycophants.
He said: “My candid advice to Mr. President is as follows. He should not listen to sycophants that are surrounding him, who will be telling him that all is well with Nigerians. Who want him to think that he is on top of everything. He should not listen to them
“Secondly, he should do an independent search, or questioning of the people who are sincerely minded. It is not what people tell him alone. He as the president must have a way of getting in touch with the masses.
“Definitely he was Lagos State Governor and he was also the leader of APC and he was also the person who coordinated South-West for victory. All those we give to him. But he should use the same method to reach out to people who will tell him the truth and not sycophants who maye be surrounding him.
“When he knows the truth, as the Bible says ‘the truth will set you free’ he can act on those truths. People are actually suffering. Many of the sufferings are not the making of Mr President but it is the case of what he met on ground. No other President was bold enough to cancel fuel subsidy, for example, and I doff my hat for him for that bold step.
“At the same time, he should find a way of reaching out to the people who are suffering directly to know exactly what is happening in town. It is not even what the masses are asking for. What the people will ask is give us money. That is what they will understand. But know what is happening to them and make a decision on how you are going to help that situation.
“I am not talking about doling out our money or giving some palliatives. That would not help, because it will just be giving them the help for a period unless you will be giving them for the whole of the tenure. I do not think palliative is the solution.”
Refinery will soon be on stream. The government should work on the other refineries and make sure they work.