Nigerians slam minister over comments on Tinubu’s reforms, say govt economic policies created more hunger

As President Ahmed Bola Tinubu is set to mark one year in office, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Senator Abubakar Bagudu, few days ago, in an interview on the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, declared that the President’s economic reforms have started bearing fruits, asserting that the measures have restored faith in the country’s economy.

According to him, “the reforms have restored confidence in the economy and the foreign investors have renewed interest in Nigeria”.

He said though the removal of the petrol subsidy had caused some pain, the policy had increased the quantum of funds available to the three tiers of government to invest in critical infrastructure that will regenerate the economy.
Nigerians have however taken the minister to task, asking him to disclose where those fruits of the economic reforms are located.

They knocked President Bola Tinubu’s administration, saying its economic policies have produced more hungry Nigerians instead of alleviating their sufferings. The populace also demanded an apology from the minister for his presentation to Nigerians that the economic policies were yielding fruits.

Nigerians starve more now than previously — Fyneface

A human rights activist and Executive Director of Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre (YEAC-Nigeria), Rivers State, Fyneface Dumnamene Fyneface, said, “Mr. President and his team, especially the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, would agree with Nigerians that the current situation is worse than what President Tinubu inherited. It is still far from what Nigerians, who are now hungrier, expected from this administration.

What are the economic reforms that the Minister is talking about? The reforms are yet to manifest on the tables of Nigerians battling with hardship, shortages of energy, lower electricity supply with higher costs, an all-time crash of the Naira against the dollar, and its resultant effect on the prices of goods and services with hyperinflation and associated job losses in the private sector unable to continue in business because of the higher cost of operations.”

The activist maintained that the minister’s claims were not in line with the realities on the ground in the country as investors were leaving in droves, and shedding jobs while an average Nigerian is not happy with the present administration of President Tinubu because of prevailing economic challenges crippling the economy and multiplying hunger and hardship.

No renewed hope but absolute hopelessness — Hon Ayo Fadaka, Public analyst

A Public analyst, Hon Ayo Fadaka, said that “since May 29th 2023, Nigeria has transformed to a nation of intense hardship for its nationals. Quality of life has dropped to almost zero, inflation keeps rising and has disposed the people of whatever savings they hitherto had.

Food prizes have astronomically attained unimaginable heights, yet people must find a way to feed, therefore the disadvantaged class devises any strategy to put body and soul together. Nigerians are resigned and await anything, there is no renewed hope but absolute hopelessness, yet the Tinubu administration remains insensitive as it continues to tighten the noose around our necks with a determined desire to completely asphyxiate us, we wait helplessly, may God have mercy on us.

Let Bagudu see the “fruits” and also harvest them, that is his business, but I know the people will always remain the indices of thriving economic policies. I just hope that Tinubu will prove his mettle soon, as posterity waits earnestly to record his deeds and misdeeds.