Nigerians have examined their condition in the last two years of President Bola Tinubu’s administration and concluded that they were not better off than they were before President Tinubu assumed office on May 29 2023.
Many residents said under the Tinubu administration, the average person has experienced more poverty and insecurity than under any other government in the nation. Some, however, said the president has done his best and identified areas in which he needs to do more.
Prof. Benjamin Okaba, the president of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), stated that although Tinubu came to power with audacious pledges and reforms, particularly the elimination of fuel subsidies and attempts to standardize exchange rates, these have caused a great deal of hardship for a large number of Nigerians. According to him, “The naira’s depreciation, spiraling inflation, and high energy and food costs have eroded the purchasing power of the average Nigerian citizen. While the government argues these are necessary sacrifices for long-term gain, for millions of Nigerians, daily survival has become increasingly difficult. While some progress has been reported in counterinsurgency efforts in the Northeast, a plethora of incidents of widespread banditry, kidnapping, community clashes, and tribal invasions accompanied by large-scale death tolls have ravaged the North-Central. The judicial and legislative reforms promised are still unfounded, and the impact of their activities on governance and the rule of law is abysmal”.
A political activist, Mr. Blessing Adima, said, “Everything has gone from bad to worse. As far as the APC government is concerned, they didn’t come to do anything; there is no area of the country that they have done well. Let us not be fooled by local government financial autonomy, the governors are still handling the funds of local governments and the local government’s financial autonomy has not bettered the lives of the people at the grassroots. They should reverse most of the decisions they have taken. They have borrowed more money than before despite the removal of the fuel subsidy. How come a government that paid subsidies didn’t borrow this much? Insecurity is worse, terrorists have taken over Benue, Plateau, and Taraba States. The president should employ the services of mercenaries who can dismantle those terrorists so that farmers can go back to their farms. He should reverse the draconian economic policies that are not working.”
Elder Joseph Ambakederimo, convener of the South-South Reawakening Group, said, “It is a mixed bag if we must fairly assess the two years of the Tinubu presidency. The policies formulated so far are far-reaching, while others can’t find any pathway forward. The reforms are excruciating, but we are also seeing a silver lining on the horizon in terms of increased revenue flowing into the coffers of the three tiers of government. But what is of concern is the non-commensurate infrastructure development across the country compared to the huge amount of money received from the FAAC account, specifically the states. When we say there is hunger in the land, the question to ask is what the states are doing with the huge revenue they receive monthly. The states should drive agriculture and produce food for their people, not the federal government, which deals with policy. The assessment has to be somewhat interwoven. However, the president should, in the next two years, focus more on how to ensure that the funds flowing in get to the people, because as of now, that is not seen to be happening.”
Nigerians are better off under Tinubu, says Hon Umoh
The member, who represented the Oron/Okobo/Udung Uko/Mbo/Urueoffong Oruko federal constituency in Akwa Ibom State between 2007 and 2011, Hon. Linus Umoh, argued that Nigerians were better off under the Bola Tinubu government than the previous administration.
Umoh, also a former speaker of the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, asserted, “I speak frankly, and as someone that has a good knowledge about Nigeria for the years I have been in politics, I can say with all fairness that the president is doing much better for Nigerians than the previous administration. I say so because when a situation is as bad as it was before he (Tinubu) took over, to reverse the situation involves two things. He removed the subsidy from fuel which was a good idea, but it created some hardship. Of course, the federal government is trying to manage that. Now in Akwa Ibom State, petrol is everywhere; you choose where to buy.
The fuel price is decreasing gradually. The exchange rate has also been stabilized. It is still on the high side, but it would have been worse if the government had not taken steps to stop it from further sliding down. The important thing is stability, so I can say that Nigerians are better than in the previous administration.” Vanguard