By Lanre Oloyede
Chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Jackson Lekan-Ojo, has described the first one year of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has a collosal failure.
In an exclusive interview with our correspondent, the party chieftain lamented that he has never witnessed the kind of suffering that Nigerians were subjected to in the last twelve months in his entire life.
Chief Lekan-Ojo expressed disappointment, particularly, in the performance of the Ministers serving under the current administration.
While making comparison between what was obtainable under the administration of Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, the public affairs analyst noted that Nigerians fared better under the past administrations.
“I’ve never witnessed any hardship like this in life before. I was in primary school during the first tenure of Olusegun Obasanjo as the military head of state followed by Shehu Shagari, followed by Buhari, followed by Babangida followed by Abacha and others. We were crying during Goodluck Jonathan administration, even during Buhari’s administration, we were crying. But compare the cost of living during that time and now. We were complaining that the hardship during that time was much but we can see now that the hardship under Buhari and Jonathan were just child’s play.
“A situation whereby there’s no electricity and nobody can afford fuel to run generator. In a situation whereby there’s no water, people cannot afford to buy ordinary pure water not to talk of bottled water, a situation whereby there’s no alternative to rice and rice is no longer affordable to anybody except to very few who are less than 10% of the population. A situation whereby a basin of gari now is sold for N22,000. Before, people can come to beg you that they don’t have anything to eat that you should give them something even if it is gari to drink. But today, gari is not even affordable . Yam is no longer affordable, if you want to make a little stew, you need about N20,000, and 70% Nigerians are not even earning up to N20,000 in a month which is not enough to cook stew. People can no longer fly. 45 mins flight now is N172, 000 as against N15, 000 before,” the APC chieftain stated.
The security expert condemned the implementation methodology of the subsidy removal policy by the federal government.
Chief Lekan-Ojo argued that the subsidy removal policy, though a good policy, has created more sufferings to Nigerians than it was meant to solve.
“They removed fuel subsidy, though it was a good policy but the policy implementation was poor. There was nothing to cushion the effect of this subsidy. Except the sharing of N5000 to very few Nigerians and they called it palliatives. What kind of Palliatives is that one? It would have been better very view Nigerians are stealing the subsidy money than for 90% Nigerians suffering. Ordinary to barb your hair is now N1000. How many Nigerians can afford that? So, things are so hard, you are building road, coastal road, what type of nonsense coastal road. Coastal road is still the same East-West road that you left undone and abandoned. Now you created another one and who owns hi-tech. Why not face that one and complete them first. Why the coastal road, will coastal road put food on the table of Nigerians, pay school fee, undertake healthcare facility?
The APC chieftain also bemoaned the under-performance of the federal ministers whom he described as clueless.
He called for the immediate sack of the ministers and asked them to return all the salaries and allowances they have earned while in office.
“In a saner clime, most of the ministers are supposed to be sacked and asked them to return the salary and allowances they have spent so far. If the President doesn’t want Nigerians to start trekking to Niger, Chad, Togo, Benin, I think most of the Ministers have to be dropped and look for performance. There’s no area I’m expecting this government to perform. The corruption is on higher side. Is it on power, school, health, road? People can no longer afford public universities let alone private universities. That is to say they are already sending people out of school. When people can longer afford school, it means we are now rearing criminals. There’s no way anybody can advice this government, because they believe they know it all. To me any administration that citizens cannot have contributions, in form of advice, definitely they are meant for doom. Of what benefits is the old and new national anthem? To me I would have even forgotten about national anthem it is meaningless. Peoples don’t care about national anthem. It is like the 10th national assembly don’t have what to do, this is the cluelessness of the highest order. They are not progressives, retrogressive.
Speaking concerning the newly re-introduced national anthem, the chieftain of APC expressed disappointment at the 10th assembly for passing the old national anthem bill for president Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent.
He accused both chambers of the national assembly of compromise in governing Nigeria. The analyst also said the synergy between the executive and legislature without checks and balances is an indication that Nigeria is without leaders who mean well for the country.
“How will the old national anthem improve our economy, insecurity, bring down the price of fuel, improve the hardship situations Nigerians are currently passing through. That is to show you the caliber of leadership we have in the 10th assembly and this bill pass through the first second and third reading? Will the old national anthem solve problems of corruption, solve the cluelessness of our ministers and improve the economy,” the APC chieftain said.
