The Chief Whip of the Senate, Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), has raised concerns that President Bola Tinubu is isolated from the current realities facing Nigeria. Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at the National Assembly complex in Abuja, Ndume alleged that the President is “fenced off and caged” by certain forces within the Presidential Villa.
Ndume expressed frustration over what he perceives as a lack of decisive action by the Tinubu administration to address the nation’s security challenges, poverty, hunger, and other pressing issues. He warned that Nigerians are growing increasingly disillusioned with the government’s perceived inaction.
“Mr. President is not in the picture of what is happening outside the Villa. He has been fenced off and caged. Many of us won’t go through the backdoor to engage him. Now, they have stopped him from talking, and he doesn’t have public affairs managers, except for his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, who writes press statements. Nigerians are getting very angry,” Ndume said.
The senator also highlighted the urgent need for the government to address food scarcity, cautioning that a failure to do so could worsen the current crisis. “The government is not doing anything about the food scarcity, and it needs to act urgently. We don’t have food reserves. A food crisis is the worst crisis any nation can encounter. If we add that to the security crisis, it will be severe,” he warned.
Ndume urged President Tinubu to become more aware of the nation’s challenges, suggesting that the President’s inner circle may be shielding him from the truth. “The President should wake up. It seems he isn’t in the picture of what is happening because he has been caged off by plutocrats. He should open his doors and meet those who will tell him the truth,” he added.
He lamented that those willing to speak truthfully to the President are not being given access. “Unfortunately, the people who will tell him the truth won’t struggle to meet him. I am very worried, not only for the President himself but for myself,” Ndume said.
On the farmer-herder crisis, Ndume criticized stakeholders for their lack of sincerity, noting that contributions are often driven by ethnic sentiments. He also pointed out the Federal Government’s inability to address these issues as a significant challenge.
In an earlier interview with BBC Hausa, Ndume alleged that some ministers are unable to meet with President Tinubu to discuss important matters. “The major problem with this government is that its doors are closed, to the extent that even some ministers cannot see the President, not to mention members of the National Assembly, who do not have the opportunity to meet with him and discuss the issues affecting their constituencies,” he said.
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