Peter Obi, past presidential candidate and former governor of Anambra state, has replied to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s address to the nation on Sunday morning, stating that it fell short of expectations, describing it as largely indecisive and “disconnected” from the demands of the protesters who marched against bad governance and poor living conditions since the 1st of August.
The former presidential candidate appeared displeased with the content of the president’s speech in relation to the demands of Nigerians who took to the streets on Thursday to protest living conditions in the country, requesting an end to fuel price hikes, food inflation, and the regulation of government spending. He also advised the president to reconsider his choice of advisers.
“The President’s address regrettably appeared disconnected from the harsh realities faced by the people and failed to address critical issues that initially triggered the protest. It either reflects a lack of awareness among his advisers regarding the scale of anger, hunger, and hardship in the country, or a deliberate choice to disregard it. At this point, I strongly advise the President to distance himself from sycophants and surround himself with individuals who will present the unvarnished truth.”
Obi stated that while the president acknowledged the loss of lives during the protests and sympathised with the victims’ families, he failed to address the arrests and detainment of some peaceful protesters nor empathised with those injured “due to the overzealous and unprofessional conduct of some security operatives.”
“It is the responsibility of the government to identify criminal elements attempting to disrupt the protest through looting and other unlawful behaviours and to protect those genuinely exercising their democratic rights” he wrote.
Obi, who also appreciated Tinubu’s condemnation of the “ethnic bigotry being propagated by some individuals against other ethnic groups,” said he expected “more decisive action” such as the “immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible, to demonstrate that such intolerance will not be tolerated in today’s Nigeria.”
As part of the President’s speech, he revealed that 75,000 small and medium-scale businesses in Nigeria have been processed to receive N1mn in single-digit interest loans starting this month, adding that the government has built 10 MSME hubs within the past year, creating 240,000 jobs through them, which five more yet to be released.
Obi says the president needs to focus more on an action plan to fix lingering problems, rather than flaunt past achievements.
“While the President’s speech focused on the past, the people are concerned with the present and the future. He should begin by addressing pressing issues such as the exorbitant cost of governance, measures to tackle corruption, the high cost of living, and directing resources effectively towards critical areas like health, education, and poverty alleviation…every Nigerian is already aware of the extent of the problems. Mr President, you and your team were elected not just to witness the protests but to alleviate the suffering of the people,” Obi wrote.
“Nigerians do not expect the President to solve the nation’s problems overnight, but we do expect a concerted effort to address the mismanagement of public resources, reduce the high cost of governance, and tackle issues like insecurity, corruption, electricity, agriculture, and productivity to set the country on a path to recovery and growth…I respectfully reiterate that the President should declare a war on insecurity, the economy, poverty, unemployment, and the power sector,” he concluded.
