Tinubu Knows Price Of Eggs, Bread In Markets, Aide Says

President Bola Tinubu is aware of the economic challenges Nigerians face, including the prices of essential food items such as eggs and bread, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Community Engagement in the North-Central, Abiodun Essiet, has said.

Essiet said the President was regularly briefed on the realities confronting Nigerians through reports from presidential aides and members of the Federal Executive Council.

Speaking during a media briefing at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, she dismissed suggestions that only journalists understood the hardships citizens were experiencing, saying the administration received regular feedback from communities across the country.

“You think Mr President doesn’t know the price of egg or bread in the market? He does, because we regularly brief him and members of the Federal Executive Council,” she said.

Essiet explained that her responsibility involved communicating the needs and concerns of ordinary Nigerians to the President to ensure that government policies and projects reflected the realities on the ground.

She cited the construction of the Plaga–Bida–Mokwa Road as an example of how community concerns could influence the administration’s infrastructure priorities.

According to her, the road had been a longstanding concern for residents, with its last contract award dating back about 46 years.

She said the poor condition of the road had resulted in fatal accidents, with heavy-duty trucks reportedly falling while attempting to navigate difficult sections.

Essiet said Tinubu had prioritised the project and directed that reinforced concrete pavement be used instead of conventional asphalt to enable the road to withstand the weight of heavy-duty vehicles.

She described the project as an example of the administration responding to demands from ordinary Nigerians.

The presidential aide also defended Tinubu’s decision to pursue local government autonomy through the courts, saying the move demonstrated his commitment to strengthening grassroots governance.

She argued that empowering local governments would help ensure that the benefits of development reached communities more directly.

Essiet disclosed that her office had established a citizens’ assembly comprising more than 700 people across the North-Central region to report developments and challenges in their communities.

She said information gathered through the network was regularly communicated to the President and other relevant government officials.

According to her, about 70 per cent of the issues reported by members of the citizens’ assembly concerned responsibilities that fell within the remit of local governments.

She expressed concern that some local government workers allegedly failed to report to their offices, a situation she said undermined service delivery at the grassroots.

The aide called for stronger local government administration and urged state governors to support efforts to improve governance at that level.

She also said the President had repeatedly urged governors to pay attention to grassroots communities and ensure that development reached the people.

On the broader infrastructure agenda, Essiet said the Tinubu administration was pursuing several major projects simultaneously, arguing that infrastructure was essential to economic development, security, commerce and connectivity.

She also cited the President’s approval of a 78-kilometre road project in Kogi State, while expressing hope that the Abuja–Lokoja Road would be completed soon.

Essiet further defended the government’s removal of the petrol subsidy, arguing that the decision had helped Nigeria manage external economic pressures, including developments affecting global oil and energy markets.

She also referred to government initiatives intended to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal on Nigerians.

The presidential aide maintained that regular communication between communities and the government was necessary to ensure that policies addressed citizens’ needs.

She said the administration’s infrastructure projects and efforts to strengthen local government autonomy were part of a broader attempt to improve living conditions and extend development to grassroots communities.