Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, a prominent figure in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), has strongly criticized President Bola Tinubu's administration, calling it "clueless and insensitive." His remarks came in a press statement issued on Wednesday to mark the 60th birthday of former Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi.
Eze asserted that Amaechi's recent public statement about experiencing hunger during a symposium perfectly reflects the widespread hunger, hardship, and despair currently faced by millions of Nigerians under Tinubu's leadership. He claimed that under this "insensitive and clueless government," it has become unacceptable, even a "national taboo and sanctionable crime," for Nigerians to admit they are hungry.
Describing the current situation as a "national emergency," Eze argued that government supporters, especially the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, should not have ridiculed Amaechi's comment. He lamented that Tinubu's administration seems to punish Nigerians with "obnoxious, anti-people and self-serving economic policies" and then expects them not to complain about hunger.
According to Eze, Amaechi's statement was a subtle yet sincere plea for action, a patriotic call for Tinubu to re-evaluate his "nonexistent economic blueprint" to prevent a national collapse. He saw it as a "hard truth that must be said without minding whose ox is gored," emphasizing that it points to a harsh reality where only those in government or those mismanaging public funds can afford proper meals, while the rest of the population struggles to survive.
Eze further accused government officials of living lavishly while the majority of Nigerians endure deprivation, warning that sycophantic behavior, particularly from officials like Wike and his aides, only intensifies public anger. He clarified that Amaechi's statement wasn't about his personal inability to feed himself or his family, but rather a strong indication that outside of government or illicit enrichment, one would experience the "pang of hunger."
Comparing the current suffering to even the Nigeria-Biafra War, Eze alleged that the present level of hardship under Tinubu's "misguided policies" is worse. He defended Amaechi's right to speak on behalf of the people, citing his over two decades of public service without corruption allegations.
Eze cautioned against "weaponizing hunger" and urged the President to adopt more compassionate policies. He dismissed infrastructure projects like flyovers in Abuja as irrelevant to the daily struggle for food. While calling for prayers and faith, Eze expressed hope for Nigeria leading up to the 2027 elections, urging Tinubu's government to "show sympathy" and advising officials like Wike to cease mocking dissenting voices, highlighting sycophancy as a major national problem.
