My Husband Not A Magician, Says First Lady Oluremi Tinubu

The First Lady, Remi Tinubu, says President Bola Tinubu’s government is focused on fixing the country’s problems but admitted that his husband is not a magician.

With many struggling with a tripling of fuel prices, a sharp naira devaluation, and inflation now at 25 percent, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) – the two major unions representing industries from aviation workers and nurses to teachers and bankers – had called an indefinite strike for October 3 because they say the government failed to address their concerns.

But speaking in an interdenominational church service to mark Nigeria’s 63rd Independence, Remi Tinubu said his husband’s government inherited a lot. However, the Tinubu administration is willing to fix the issues affecting Nigeria, she maintained.

“We are not here to put blame on any administration but to fix what has been damaged,” she said at the event held at the National Christian Centre in Abuja on Sunday.

“My husband is not a magician. He is going to work – brick by brick – and I believe and hope that you will have faith in this administration. The best is yet to come for us,” the First Lady added.

Her comment came hours after President Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast as the country marked its 63rd Independence Day.

In the broadcast, Tinubu said the federal minimum wage for lower-grade public employees would increase by 25,000 naira a month ($32) for the next six months.

Later Sunday, government officials and labour unions met for negotiations, and the government said the temporary wage increase would now apply to “all treasury-paid federal government workers for six months,” according to a presidency statement.

The temporary wage hike was among other offers, it said.

“NLC and TUC will consider the offers by the Federal Government with a view to suspending the planned strike to allow for further consultations,” the statement said.

NLC chief Joe Ajaero told reporters the union would take the government offers to its membership for consultations.

“We’re hopeful that (membership) will have a look at them and give us a fresh mandate,” he said.