'Let Poor Breathe': Tinubu Under Fire Over 2023 Statement as Fresh Protest against Hardship Looms
- Civil society organizations (CSOs) have criticized President Bola Tinubu for not aligning his statements like “Let the poor breathe” with policies that alleviate economic hardship
- Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, called Tinubu's government hypocritical
- CSOs also raised concerns about the shrinking civic space under Tinubu’s administration
FCT, Abuja - Civil society organizations (CSOs) have strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu for his perceived failure to back his empathetic statements with concrete actions, accusing him of hypocrisy in the face of worsening economic hardship.
The backlash follows the President's viral remarks on June 12, 2023, Democracy Day, where he said:
Source: Facebook
“I share your pains, and Let the poor breathe. Don’t suffocate them.”
However, CSOs now demand that the President’s words be matched with policies that alleviate the Nigerian populace's suffering.
CSOs: Tinubu's promises fall short
Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director of Paradigm Initiative, while exclusively speaking Legit.ng, said Tinubu’s speech on Democracy Day had initially provided hope for many Nigerians grappling with rising fuel prices, inflation, and general economic hardship.
However, months later, Sesan argued that the President's policies have deepened the struggles of the average Nigerian, contradicting his promises.
He said:
"We ask the President to walk his talk. For now, he is saying one thing while his government is walking a different (in fact, the opposite) road."
Tinubu accused of hypocrisy over response to protests
Sesan expressed his frustration with what he sees as a government that fails to live up to its promises.
Furthermore, he compared the current administration's stance and actions during previous governments.
He said:
“APC is the most hypocritical leadership and party in Nigeria. In 2012, they protested against fuel subsidy removal and called Jonathan names.
"Now, the same APC has come into power and done exactly what they condemned. Bola Tinubu is behaving like a hypocrite.”
He condemned the government's failure to cut down on wasteful expenditure while asking citizens to make sacrifices.
He said:
“You cannot tell citizens to tighten their belts when you are buying new big planes for yourself."
He said true leadership requires setting an example by first reducing government waste.
CSOs raise concerns over closing civic spaces
In addition to economic policies, Sesan also addressed what he called the "dangerous" closing of civic spaces under Tinubu’s administration.
He expressed concern over the federal government's crackdown on peaceful protests, with legitimate protesters being labelled criminals and even charged with treason.
He said:
“The same leaders today, including the President, fought for democracy by protesting and, in some cases, rioting.
"Now, these same people are shutting down the very civic spaces they once fought to open."
He warned that the government’s familiarity with protest tactics has made it easier for them to manipulate and suppress dissent.
Calls for government to lead by example
The CSOs have called on Tinubu to take immediate action by reducing government expenses and addressing the root causes of the economic hardship that Nigerians are facing.
According to Sesan:
“If you cut the cost of government and we see leadership in cutting waste, then you can ask citizens to do the same.”
"Unbearable," Sanusi decries spate of economic hardship in Nigeria
In another report, Legit.ng reported that the 16th Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, has voiced serious concerns about Nigerians' severe economic hardships.
He made these remarks on Thursday, July 18, during a ceremony at the Government House for distributing free fertilizer to 52,800 smallholder farmers across the 44 local government areas of Kano State.
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Source: Legit.ng
