Former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day address, saying that while the president highlighted economic achievements, his speech lacked empathy and failed to address the harsh realities Nigerians were grappling with.
Appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, Akande described Tinubu’s speech as the president’s most comprehensive yet in terms of listing his administration’s successes, especially in the economy.
“This is the best speech for the president (Bola Tinubu) in trying to talk about what he has achieved and you have to give him the credit for those things. He (Tinubu) was quite diligent to list out one after the other his administration’s achievements since he took over power, especially in the area of the economy,” Akande said.
But the former presidential aide argued that the speech did not show enough sensitivity to Nigerians’ struggles.
“What I think was missing in his speech was the sense of empathy, some of the ongoing challenges that Nigerians are facing especially regarding the question of insecurity. I did not see enough empathy in the president’s speech. I didn’t see enough acknowledgement of what is happening in Kwara State where bandits and terrorists have extended their reach,” he stated.
Akande also raised concerns about the ₦320 billion earmarked for social safety nets, questioning the lack of transparency on its impact.
“I didn’t see enough of how the ₦320 billion was spent for the social safety net that the president also lauded. Of course, that information has been out before, but we haven’t seen a demonstration of that—who are these people? And I am not saying that the people are not there.
“I have lived the experience where people get this ‘goody goody’ from the government and disappear. It is important for the government to showcase these things, it brings hope to the people that have not been reached,” he said.
On poverty, Akande accused the president of downplaying one of Nigeria’s most pressing issues.
“I don’t see the president spend time talking about how his administration is concerned about poverty,” he added.
The former aide further criticised Tinubu’s reluctance to tackle corruption in the oil and gas sector, pointing to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
“Finally, I didn’t see him talk so much about corruption. He (Tinubu) said that if we remove the fuel subsidy and the corruption that accompanied it, we still don’t know what is happening in NNPC. There is so much rot in the oil and gas sector, particularly in NNPCL, and the president has not been bold or courageous enough to go after the rot in NNPC the way he managed to do for CBN. He didn’t seem to be so worried about dealing with the problem of corruption the way he ought to,” Akande said.
Despite his criticism, Akande admitted that Tinubu had been diligent in listing notable economic milestones.
“We have to give him his credits, he listed about 12 achievements in the economy which are quite notable,” he concluded.
