Senate Chief Whip, Ali Ndume, has voiced concerns that President Bola Tinubu is unaware of the severe hunger and anger among Nigerians. Speaking with journalists at the National Assembly complex in Abuja on Wednesday, Ndume highlighted the disconnect between the president and the realities facing ordinary citizens.
Ndume criticized the environment around President Tinubu, suggesting that he is insulated by advisers who feed him false information, preventing him from understanding the true state of the nation. “Mr. President is not in the picture of what is happening outside the villa. He has been fenced off and caged. So many of us won’t go through the backdoor to engage him,” Ndume stated.
These remarks came in response to a recent Senate resolution urging the federal government to address the widespread hunger in Nigeria or risk facing public unrest. On Tuesday, Ndume co-sponsored a motion with Senator Sunday Karimi, Chairman of the Senate Services Committee, titled “Urgent Need to Address Food Insecurity and Market Exploitation of Consumables in Nigeria.” The motion aims to highlight the critical issue of food scarcity and the exploitation occurring in the market.
Ndume emphasized the persistent security challenges in the country, which he believes are a significant threat to food security. He expressed frustration that adequate measures have not been taken to alleviate these challenges. “Nigerians are getting very, very angry. The government is not doing anything about the food scarcity and it needs to do something urgently. We don’t have food reserve. There is unavailability of food. Food crisis is the worst crisis that any nation can encounter. If we add that to security crisis, it will be severe,” Ndume said.
He further urged President Tinubu to be more accessible and engage with those who can provide honest insights about the country’s situation. “The president should wake up, it seems he isn’t in the picture of what is happening because he has been caged off. He has been fenced off by plutocrats. He should open his doors and meet those who will tell him the truth. Unfortunately, the people who will tell him the truth won’t struggle to meet him. I am very worried not only for the president himself, but myself,” Ndume added.
Ndume also expressed disappointment over the lack of effective action against the herder-related issues that have exacerbated the food scarcity problem. He called for more forthrightness from stakeholders in addressing this critical issue.