President Bola Tinubu is fully aware of the economic challenges Nigerians are facing and is taking deliberate steps to address them, according to Senator Orji Kalu.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Kalu revealed that Tinubu moves discreetly through Abuja at night to gauge the situation firsthand.
“The president himself knows that Nigerians are suffering and hungry. He is a street person; he knows the street very well,” Kalu stated.
Kalu further disclosed that Tinubu occasionally drives around the capital city with minimal security detail. “The president some nights uses his car to go around and know what is happening in Abuja here. The president goes around with one or two cars and sees what is happening. He is not a president that is locked up in the room.”
Nigeria’s inflation surged to 32.7% in September 2024, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira by Tinubu’s administration have significantly increased the cost of essential goods, putting them beyond the reach of many citizens.
However, Kalu defended these policy moves as bold and necessary. “The moves were very courageous,” he said, adding that Nigeria is not the only country experiencing economic difficulties. He attributed part of the economic strain to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pressure of COVID-19 has not gone,” Kalu explained. “It is still affecting the global economy.”
The senator acknowledged the tough economic conditions but emphasized that they are not unique to Nigeria. “Let me be honest with you. I know things are not the way they are supposed to be,” Kalu admitted. “The economy has not been so friendly; the atmosphere has not been so friendly. But this economic problem is going on almost everywhere in the world.”
Despite the challenges, Kalu expressed confidence in the efforts of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to revitalize the economy. “They are trying to reform the economy. They are trying to bring back the economy where it is supposed to be,” he noted.
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