Nearly a year into the administration of President Bola Tinubu, whose campaign mantra was ‘Renewed Hope,’ concerns are being raised about the state of the nation and the impact of the government’s policies on the lives of Nigerians. Prof Usman Yusuf, a political commentator and member of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has expressed disappointment with the administration’s performance thus far.
During an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, Yusuf said, “People have lost hope. It pains me to see our people lining up to collect cups of palliatives. Renewed Hope has turned into hopelessness. People have lost hope.”
Tinubu, whose campaign mantra was ‘Renewed Hope,’ was sworn in as President on May 29, 2023, after a keenly contested election in February of the same year. As the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), he introduced several harsh policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of foreign exchange windows.
However, these policies have been vocally criticized by critics, as Nigerians grapple with surging inflation and skyrocketing costs of living, sparking protests and scathing criticisms across the country.
Despite the administration’s assurances that the pain would be temporary, Yusuf lamented, “The last one year has been a year of nothing but deception, destitution, and hopelessness.”
“From next week, they will start telling us their propaganda,” the NEF member continued. “What have they done to benefit the ordinary people? In a span of one year, they have brought millions of people back into multidimensional poverty, they have pushed millions more children out of school because their parents cannot pay their school fees.”
Yusuf also criticized the economic management team of the President, describing its members as “tax collectors” rather than “economists.” “The economic team, to me, looks more like tax collectors than economists. Taxation does not grow the economy; only production does,” he stated.
As the Tinubu administration approaches its first anniversary, concerns are mounting about the impact of its policies on the lives of Nigerians, with critics like Yusuf raising alarm over the perceived lack of progress and the potential backsliding of the country’s economic and social conditions.
