Momodu, who reacted to Tinubu’s nationwide broadcast marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary, said the President’s speech turned what should have been a day of celebration into a “day of lamentation”.
In his address, Tinubu defended his administration’s economic reforms by comparing Nigeria’s pre-2023 economic condition to that of a cancer patient. He said previous governments had relied on “morphine” to suppress the symptoms of the country’s economic problems, while his administration chose to “excise the cancer” through difficult reforms.
Reacting in a statement shared on his verified X account, Momodu said the President’s analogy was inappropriate and argued that Nigeria’s condition had deteriorated under the current administration.
“My heart bled as you went into the morbid analogy of Nigeria as being cancer patient that merely survived on painkillers before your arrival as celebrated surgeon,” Momodu said.
“At the time you assumed power, Nigeria probably had stage two cancer at worst. You were expected to stabilise it and not to metastasise it into stage four cancer.”
Momodu also criticised the immediate implementation of some of the administration’s economic policies, particularly the removal of petrol subsidy.
He described the policy as a “monumental disaster”, arguing that the government had acted too quickly without adequately assessing its impact on Nigerians.
“Your first prescription on day one was a monumental disaster. You took no time to properly examine your patient. You were too much in a hurry to administer your jab which automatically sent Nigeria into instant coma,” he said.
Momodu further questioned the administration’s economic record, citing what he described as rising insecurity and poverty, increased borrowing and what he called excessive government spending.
He also accused politicians of prioritising elections over governance and said the government’s “Renewed Hope” agenda had given way to “hopelessness and abject despair”.
Tinubu, however, said in his Independence Day address that the reforms did not create Nigeria’s longstanding economic weaknesses but were intended to confront them. He acknowledged that the measures had produced difficult side effects while arguing that the country had now moved beyond the emergency phase of the reforms and into an “age of prosperity”.
Momodu said Nigerians were becoming increasingly disappointed with the government’s promises, particularly with the 2027 general election approaching.
He added that while four years might not be enough to resolve all of Nigeria’s challenges, Nigerians should by now be able to see clearer signs of improvement.
The comments reflect the continuing political disagreement over the impact of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, with the government defending the measures as necessary corrections to longstanding economic distortions while critics argue that they have intensified hardship.
0 Comments
DISCLAIMER
The views and opinions expressed on this platform as comments were freely made by each person under his or her own volition or responsibility and were neither suggested nor dictated by the owners of News PLATFORM or any of their contracted staff. So we take no liability whatsoever for such comments.
Please take note!