The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake, on Wednesday, January 21, 2024, begged northern elites to support programmes and policies of President Bola Tinubu under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

In a statement signed by Alake’s Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, Alake made the appeal while delivering his acceptance speech after the conferment of the award as the ‘Most Impactful Minister’ of the current administration by the Arewa Think Tank.

Alake said: “As Governor, he (Tinubu) brought his skills as a visionary development strategist and financial tactician to the governance of Lagos. He restructured the domestic economy to create wealth for those who could take the risk and welfare for those left behind.

“His 25-year projection for the Lagos State economy has recorded a roaring success and given birth to a new economic template. If logos are working, Nigeria, in his hands, is destined to work better.

“He has taken the battle to the profiteers of the subsidy regime in the downstream petroleum sector, cabals who took advantage of the cheap fuel meant for the masses to become rich by smuggling them across the border.

“Now that the margin has become unprofitable, he has taken the elephant from the room. You can bet that the next challenge of bringing down the cost has already started with the resumption of petroleum production at the Port Harcourt Refinery. It is a testimony to his doggedness to put smiles on the faces of the masses at all cost.”