Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain and publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu, has expressed grave concerns over the state of governance in Nigeria, criticizing those in President Bola Tinubu’s inner circle for allegedly deceiving the President about the true condition of the country.
In an interview on Thursday, Momodu painted a bleak picture of Nigeria’s current situation, emphasizing the widespread belief that governance has significantly deteriorated.
He accused President Tinubu’s aides of failing to convey the harsh realities to him, opting instead to mask the nation’s challenges.
“To ask a question, ‘is there bad governance in Nigeria?’ I don’t think that is in doubt. Every Nigerian agrees on that,” Momodu remarked.
He noted that while the President’s aides may privately acknowledge the failures of the administration, they refrain from voicing these concerns to Tinubu himself.
“He is my friend, he is my big brother and if anybody will deceive him, I will remain the only one who will continue to tell him that you’re surrounded by liars,” Momodu added.
The media mogul didn’t mince words when discussing the severity of Nigeria’s current state, insisting that the nation has “never been this bad.”
He attributed the government’s shortcomings to its rampant wastefulness, pointing to unchecked profligacy as a critical issue undermining effective governance.
Momodu proposed a series of measures he believes President Tinubu should adopt to demonstrate his commitment to addressing the nation’s problems.
Central to his recommendations is the consolidation of ministries to reduce excessive governmental overhead.
“What I would expect President Tinubu to do and for him to be able to assure the nation that he means well for the nation. It’s not about throwing money around. I expect him to say today, I am merging some of the ministries. As long as you meet the constitutionally required number of ministries, then cut off the rest,” he suggested.
He also called for a significant reduction in unnecessary appointments and the adoption of a more prudent approach to resource management.
According to Momodu, the government’s current approach of “awarding appointments like popcorn” is unsustainable, especially given the level of poverty in the country.
He warned that the lavish lifestyles of government officials are out of touch with the harsh realities facing ordinary Nigerians.
“Everyday, they are awarding appointments like popcorn. You can’t run Nigeria the way you ran Lagos state. In Lagos, it’s just a state and because it’s a state and a very wealthy one at that, you can afford that. But nationally, the level of poverty in Nigeria does not allow that,” he asserted.
Momodu also drew a parallel with the situation in Kenya, where President William Ruto faced significant public unrest due to similar issues of governance and profligacy.
He cautioned that Nigeria could face comparable turmoil if the government fails to address the growing desperation among its youth.
“I pray they don’t drive these young Nigerians to that level because the level of desperation is unprecedented in the country,” he warned.
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