Elder statesman Bode George has expressed disappointment with President Bola Tinubu’s recent media chat, accusing the President of lacking empathy for the suffering Nigerians.
George emphasized that Tinubu’s remarks on Monday were out of touch with the reality of widespread hunger and hardship in the country.
He pointed to recent incidents, including three deadly stampedes during food distribution that resulted in 67 deaths, as a stark reminder of the severe hunger and frustration gripping the nation.
“There is hunger and anger in the land,” George said during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday.
“Yet, the President continues to claim his reforms are working, while many Nigerians are growing poorer and businesses are collapsing.”
He added, “Hunger doesn’t care about your words. You have to be real.”
As a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), George criticized the President’s media appearance, stating it lacked any sign of seriousness or empathy.
“Why have a discussion at all if there’s no acknowledgment of the people’s suffering?” George asked, noting the absence of a somber tone in the exchange.
George also called for immediate action from the government, urging Tinubu to reduce the price of petrol and provide urgent relief to the Nigerians struggling under the weight of inflation, which he blamed on the administration’s policies.
Nigeria continues to face significant energy challenges, with all state-owned refineries out of operation, and the country depends heavily on imports of refined petroleum.
Following the removal of the petrol subsidy in May 2023, petrol prices surged from around N200 per litre to over N1,000, worsening the living conditions of Nigerians who rely on petrol to power vehicles and generators amid unreliable electricity supply.
Additionally, the unification of foreign exchange windows has caused the naira’s value to plummet, from approximately N700 to the dollar to over N1,600 on the parallel market, driving up the cost of food and basic goods.
Despite calls for a review of his policies, President Tinubu, during his media chat, reiterated that he stands by the removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that Nigeria could no longer afford to subsidize fuel for neighboring countries.
