Chief Nduese Essien, former Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently reverse his economic policies that are intensifying poverty and inflation, pushing millions of Nigerians into hardship.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, Essien particularly criticised the swift removal of the fuel subsidy and other economic decisions of Tinubu’s administration, stating they are causing unprecedented suffering.
“The level of hardship across the country is unprecedented, perhaps only comparable to the Nigerian Civil War. Families are struggling to meet even their most basic needs,” he said.
He acknowledged the government’s potentially good intentions but emphasised that these policies are worsening poverty, fuelling inflation, and disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable.
He called on the government to recalibrate its economic strategy, balancing fiscal responsibility with the need to protect citizens from deeper poverty.
Essien also stressed the importance of fiscal discipline and reducing the cost of governance.
He further warned that if immediate action is not taken to address hunger, poverty, and rising discontent, the government risks provoking public outrage, with potentially serious consequences.
Essien also expressed disappointment with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), an institution he once championed.
He condemned the commission for deviating from its mandate of promoting development in the oil-rich Niger Delta, labelling it a “symbol of corruption, inefficiency, and wasted resources.”
He criticised the billions of naira spent on endless regional master plans, stakeholder engagements, and infrastructure projects that fail to deliver any tangible benefit to the people.
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