Shehu Sani: Reforms must have human face — Nigerians shouldn’t die before they see benefits

Shehu Sani, a former senator representing Kaduna central, says the federal government should carry out its reforms with a “human face”.

Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, Sani said economic reforms anywhere in the world bring pain.

He noted that any president who implements reforms will become unpopular.

The former senator said negative public opinion toward President Bola Tinubu would change once Nigerians start seeing the “fruits of what they had suffered”.

“You can’t implement a reform that inflicts hardship and denies people the basics, and people will be applauding you. It never happened anywhere,” he said.

“It is part of the risk you have to take when you want to change the political economy and social direction of a nation.

“The only thing that is needed is that reform should come with a human face because if you are reforming the economy and it is about the people, it should not reach a point where when the fruits come, everyone has died.

“It is important that for a president, as he implements reforms, he should also pay consideration that people are suffering.

“Sacrifice should be seen to be across the board. If people can’t pay their rent or school fees and cannot afford to buy food, and their lives are brutish, harsh, and terrible, it should be seen on the side of the leaders too. The leaders should be seen making sacrifices.”