Kehinde Fajobi
Former Minister of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to reconsider its economic policies, warning that continued hardship and rising hunger could lead to anarchy.
In a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja, Essien criticised several of the government’s policies, including the removal of fuel subsidies, which he said have only worsened poverty and inflation.
“The level of suffering across the country is unprecedented, except perhaps during the Nigerian Civil War,” Essien said. “Families are struggling to meet basic needs. The policies, while perhaps well-intentioned, are exacerbating poverty, increasing inflation, and hurting the most vulnerable among us.”
Essien urged the Federal Government to balance fiscal discipline with measures to ease the burden on citizens. He expressed concern that without urgent action, Nigeria could face dire consequences.
“Our leaders cannot continue to fritter the commonwealth of the country recklessly and ask the people to make sacrifices. If urgent action is not taken to stem the hunger, poverty, and discontent in the country, we risk losing the patience of the people,” he warned.
Essien also took aim at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), describing it as a “symbol of corruption” and lamenting its failure to deliver on its mandate of regional development.
“The NDDC, which was designed to be an engine of development for the oil-rich Niger Delta, has tragically become a symbol of corruption. Billions of naira are poured into endless regional master plans, stakeholders’ engagements, and infrastructure projects that never materialise,” he stated.
He called on President Tinubu to refocus the NDDC on its core mandate, warning that continued mismanagement would deepen the region’s woes.
Additionally, Essien criticised the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for its involvement in regulating prices for privately owned refineries, particularly the Dangote Refinery.
“It is unacceptable that an organisation that has failed to manage the country’s refineries for over three decades should now meddle in the pricing of products from a privately owned refinery,” Essien said, questioning NNPC’s role in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.
In his statement, Essien also advocated for a shift toward true federalism, calling for greater revenue allocation to regions, states, and local governments, which he said are better positioned to drive development.
“The regions, states, and local governments should be given more revenue since they are closest to the people,” he stated, calling for the implementation of the recommendations of the 2014 National Conference to strengthen regional autonomy.
Turning to electoral reforms, Essien stressed the need for greater transparency and called on the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act to ensure electronic accreditation, transfer, and collation of results. He also urged the judiciary to uphold its role as the guardian of democracy.
“When a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association NBA said he would not go to court to seek redress for an election he contested and believed was rigged, then we should be very worried,” Essien remarked, underscoring the importance of restoring public trust in the electoral process and judicial integrity.