Ex-minister to Tinubu: Nigerians are suffering, review your policies

Nduese Essien, a former minister of land, housing, and urban development, says President Bola Tinubu should review some of the policies initiated by his administration.

In a statement on Wednesday, Essien said the hasty removal of the petrol subsidy and other economic policies are inflicting “unprecedented suffering” on Nigerians.

“The level of suffering across the country is unprecedented, except perhaps during the Nigerian civil war. Families are struggling to meet basic needs,” the statement reads.

“The policies, while perhaps well-intentioned, are exacerbating poverty, increasing inflation, and hurting the most vulnerable among us.”

The former minister urged the federal government to rethink its approach and strike a balance between reducing the fiscal deficit and ensuring citizens do not plunge deeper into poverty.

He also emphasised the need for fiscal discipline and cutting the cost of governance.

“It is inhuman to continue down this path without a clear plan to ease the burden on the citizens. Our leaders cannot continue to recklessly fritter away the commonwealth of the country and expect the people to make sacrifices, he stated.

“If urgent action is not taken to stem the hunger, poverty, and discontent in the country, we risk losing the patience of the people, and that could result in dire consequences.”

Essien also called for electoral reform and greater transparency in LG elections.

He urged the national assembly to amend the Electoral Act to ensure electronic accreditation of voters, transfer, and collation of results.

“Nigeria may not survive another attempt at a flawed election,” Essien warned.

He expressed concern over the increasing role of the judiciary in determining election outcomes, calling on the chief justice of Nigeria (CJN) to “restore sanity to our courts and our electoral jurisprudence”.

“When a former national chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said he would not go to court to seek redress for an election he contested and believes was rigged, then we should be very worried,” the former minister said.

Essien urged Nigerians to hold their leaders accountable and demand policies that prioritise the welfare of the people.