Nigerians Are Hungry; Tinubu’s Policies Worsen Situation,” Says Bode George

Bode George criticizes President Tinubu’s policies, claiming they have intensified hunger and economic hardship in Nigeria, calling for immediate corrective measures.

Elder statesman Bode George criticized President Bola Tinubu’s media chat on Monday, stating that it lacked empathy and humanity. He emphasized that the President appeared indifferent to the struggles faced by suffering Nigerians through his remarks.

Reflecting on the three food queue stampedes in Nigeria last week, which resulted in 67 deaths, George remarked that “there is hunger and anger in the land.” Meanwhile, despite these tragedies, the President continues to assert that his reforms are effective even as many Nigerians face increasing poverty and businesses continue to collapse.

“We’re not seeing any improvement; things are getting worse by the day,” George stated during Channels Television’s Politics Today program on Tuesday. “Hunger isn’t swayed by words—you need to be genuine.”

A member of the Board of Trustees for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) remarked that Tinubu’s media chat was an inappropriate way to conclude the year. “I’m surprised by the lack of any somberness or humanity in their conversation,” he commented. “What is even the purpose of having such a discussion?”

George urged the Tinubu administration to lower petrol prices and provide immediate relief for hungry Nigerians, whom he argued have been impoverished by current government policies.

Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa, is grappling with energy issues as none of its state-owned refineries are operational. The nation depends largely on importing refined petroleum products, with the state-operated NNPC serving as the primary importer of these critical resources.

Fuel queues have become a regular occurrence in the country. Since subsidies were removed in May 2023, petrol prices have skyrocketed from approximately N200 per litre to over N1,000 per litre. This has added to the burdens faced by citizens who rely on petrol for their vehicles and generators due to a chronic lack of consistent electricity supply spanning many decades.

The government consolidated multiple foreign exchange windows, causing the naira’s value to plummet dramatically from $1/N700 to over $1/1600 in the parallel market. Consequently, prices for food and essential commodities skyrocketed as Nigerians faced rising inflation.

There has been pressure on Tinubu to rethink his policies, but during a media chat on Monday, he asserted that he has no regrets about eliminating the petrol subsidy in May 2023. He emphasized that Nigeria cannot continue acting as Father Christmas for neighboring countries.