Nigeria making money, yet poverty is rising – Baba-Ahmed

National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, accusing it of implementing major policies without adequate planning and failing to tackle Nigeria’s critical challenges.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, Baba-Ahmed alleged that the Federal Government did not carry out proper assessments before embarking on key economic reforms, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy.

According to him, major policy decisions should be preceded by comprehensive analyses of their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

“You don’t embark on policies without SWOT analysis. The very day President Tinubu was sworn in, by his own admission, the issue about removing subsidy was not even in his speech,” Baba-Ahmed said.

He argued that the administration failed to adequately prepare Nigerians for the consequences of the subsidy removal policy.

“No government undertakes a policy measure of this magnitude without putting it through the most basic elements of a SWOT analysis,” he stated.

The PRP chairman also dismissed suggestions that members of the opposition were seeking to remove the government through unconstitutional means, insisting that any change in government would only come through the ballot box.

“We intend to remove the government by voting them out of power. That is the case,” he said.

Baba-Ahmed further expressed disappointment with President Tinubu’s performance, saying the President came into office with strong political credentials but had failed to utilise what he described as a historic opportunity to address Nigeria’s longstanding problems.

“The President came to power with fairly good credentials. You would think a man who is so ambitious and who said, ‘It’s my time,’ would come to power and tackle some of the most fundamental problems of this country, insecurity, cost of living and corruption. He did none of those things,” he said.

He argued that despite increased government revenues, ordinary Nigerians have continued to experience worsening economic conditions.

“Now we’re here. Nigeria is making so much money, and yet poverty levels are rising, insecurity is rising and corruption is rising,” Baba-Ahmed alleged.

The PRP chairman concluded by describing the Tinubu administration as one that had failed to meet public expectations.

The Federal Government has consistently defended its economic reforms, maintaining that measures such as fuel subsidy removal and exchange rate reforms are necessary to stabilise the economy and lay the foundation for long-term growth.