Mixed reactions have continued to trail the one-year anniversary of President Bola Tinubu’s administration with knocks and praises by some Nigerians.
Tinubu was inaugurated as the 16th President of Nigeria on May 29, 2023. Some residents of Okitipupa in Ondo State who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, commended Tinubu for his efforts at fixing the nation’s economy, while others said that he had failed Nigerians because of their high expectations of him.
While calling on Tinubu to search for competent hands, the respondents urged him to rejig his cabinet for optimal performance. Morenike Alaka, a former Chairman, of Okitipupa Local Government, told NAN that Tinubu was not the genesis of the current economic woes being experienced by Nigerians, saying it was an inherited problem.
Alaka noted that it was not possible to fix the current situation of the country without affecting some policies that would be unfavourable to Nigerians in the short term but would be beneficial in the long term.
“We just need to cooperate and continue to pray for this government, and I can assure you that what we are facing right now are just measures which is hard now but we will enjoy in the long run,” she said.
Niyi Adesokan, Chairman, Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Okitipupa Local Government Chapter, also said that Tinubu was only trying to fix the economy, adding that most of the problems being experienced “are only teething problems which shall vade out very soon.”
He added that the immediate past government destroyed so many things “especially on borrowing which is literally having negative effects on the country and her currency.
“On the issue of the local government autonomy, Tinubu has shown commitment to putting this in place in every local government with a view to ensuring development at the grassroots. Once the autonomy is given, you will see vast development from the grassroots,” he added.
However, Dr Dipo Akomolafe, a former Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, said “the first one year of Tinubu’s administration has been a challenging one to individuals and the nation at large”.
According to him, Nigerians are finding it extremely difficult to feed and shelter, while people can no longer afford the means of transportation.
Akomolafe, who noted that the education sector was also adversely affected, said the health and welfare of staff of tertiary institutions were stagnated through inadequate budgetary allocation which, according to him, is hampering them from performing their core roles of research.
He said that “though the country is truly blessed with abundant mineral resources, our focus all along has been oil; a gift that has significantly contributed to the economy of Nigeria as a whole.
“In order to achieve development, it is imperative that we diversify and institutionalise foundational economic frameworks to fully reap the blessings of oil itself and focus on other resources and agriculture.”
Also, Larry Ogunmusire, a People’s Democratic Party stalwart, who described Tinubu’s one-year administration as very challenging, noted that his economic policies brought more pains to Nigerians.
He added that power and the defence sectors were badly hit as many Nigerians have not been enjoying eight hours of electricity in the last year, while many can no longer sleep with their two eyes closed for fear of being kidnapped.
According to him, the subsidy removal by Tinubu during his inaugural speech affects the economy leading to untold hardship in the country.
“I think he needs to change his economic policies and rejig his cabinet, and replace non performing ministers with people of track records and high profiles who can help drive the economy,” Ogunmusire added.
Also, Temidayo Temola, Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), OAUSTECH Chapter, said that Tinubu’s government has not renewed the hope of Nigerians as encapsulated in his campaign manifesto.
He said that in the last one year, the astronomical increase in prices of goods and services is not only frustrating but killing “as many of what the masses could afford are no longer affordable.
“On the education sector, nothing has significantly improved as non-payment of the withheld salaries of the university staff has remained a forlorn hope.
“The president and his team have to sit right and find a lasting solution to the myriad of problems ranging from food, exchange rate, security, power and agriculture, among others, are resolved,” Temola noted.
