Phrank Shaibu, the Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of implementing shambolic policies that are causing unprecedented hunger, poverty, and hardship in Nigeria.
Shaibu contends that Tinubu’s ultimate plan is to decimate Nigerians and pauperize them.
He criticized Tinubu for blaming his predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari, for the economic challenges and accused the administration of leading the private sector into uncertain times, resulting in the closure of about 10 million small and micro-businesses.
Shaibu criticized Tinubu’s economic prescriptions, pointing to the deterioration of the Naira’s value, abrupt removal of petrol subsidy, and the failed promise to reduce transportation costs.
He further accused Tinubu of putting loyalty ahead of competence in appointments and wasting resources on unnecessary expenditures.
His words: “At a time Nigeria was facing its worst fiscal crisis, this man decided to waste the country’s resources by appointing the largest cabinet in the history of Nigeria with 48 ministers even though 36 ministers would have met the constitutional threshold.
Many of these ministers have been seat warmers and have achieved nothing in the last six months.
“Some ministries were split into three, and three ministers were appointed to head each new unit.
Even though Nigeria’s revenue shrunk, he decided to buy a yacht, renovate the Presidential Villa and that of the Vice President, sent a delegation of hundreds of people to Dubai for the COP28, and then approved over N120bn for SUVs for National Assembly members in order to win their loyalty over.
“He was doing all these while asking Nigerians to endure and sacrifice. At least even his own personal praise singer, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1), is now among those lamenting that the suffering is too much. He should be patient, Tinubu still has three years and three months to increase the poverty level.”
He said Tinubu clearly knew little about Nigeria’s economy as he had been limited only to Lagos, which had always had a formal economy.
He said the President knew nothing about security or building a national economy, hence his over-reliance on IMF and other multilateral organisations.
“Tinubu rode to power on the lie that he transformed Lagos economy. The truth is that Lagos had been the country’s commercial capital even before he was born.
“All banks, telecommunications firms, and oil companies are headquartered in Lagos. About 70% of Lagos’ revenue comes from income tax paid by staff of these companies.
“All Tinubu did was to enforce tax payment which the military government had neglected. This was the financial miracle he claimed to have performed.
“Now, he has been brought to the national level to repeat the so-called miracle, but the failed magician cannot rework his artistry,” he added.
Your man lost and it’s over after the supreme court judgment. Please, when will stop being anti-government and speak the truth? Hunger and hardship in which Nigeria? “Stop making inflammatory comments against govt”