Oby Ezekwesili, a former minister of education, says President Bola Tinubu’s administration has worsened Nigeria’s economy with “fiscal profligacy”.
The former education minister who was a guest at Channels Television Tuesday said the government could have avoided this economic mess if it had been more prudent with its spending.
This statement comes against the backdrop of a newly acquired aircraft – Airbus A330 — by the Tinubu-led government to replace the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 purchased under former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
This move by the presidency has been widely criticised, especially as the country is battling with rampant hunger, growing debt stock and high inflation which is forcing citizens to adjust their spendings.
“All the data and economic indicators show clearly that they have not done a good job of the economy,” Ezekwesili said.
“They have worsened it. They could have avoided the fiscal recklessness and rascality that we see.
“If you are a Nigerian, you should be vexed at this government. All we have seen this government since it came into office is fiscal profligacy,” she added.
The former vice-president of the World Bank’s Africa region said the administration should not be pitied for inheriting a bad economy — because most of its supporters and active players defended the economic policies of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
She said “the political class has decided that they are bandits against the people of Nigeria,” adding that within the last one year hunger has spreaded, throwing more people into unprecedented destitution.
The former minister said politicians are playing with the intelligence of Nigerians by trying to justify the purchase of a presidential jet at a time when the economy is witnessing a major downturn.
“I don’t see how it is feasible that the topmost priority of the government that has the level of biting hunger in the land and poverty, is to consider the purchase of a befitting aircraft for the president, construction of a N20 billion house for the vice-president, purchase of all kinds of funny looking cars in the fleet of national assembly members and executive,” Ezekwesili added.
The former minister who served under former president Obasanjo said she has the “moral authority” to criticise the current government because “I served this country.
They want everything about what I earned? They can find it in their folders”.
“As a minister, they have something called ministers’ imprest. My permanent secretary will tell you that I did not touch a dime,” she said.
“So when people say ‘you were in government’. I was in a sane government. I wasn’t in a government that watches women scream: ‘We’re hungry, we haven’t eaten’.”
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