In a scathing review of President Bola Tinubu’s tenure, Prof Usman Yusuf, a political commentator and member of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has lamented that rather than instilling hope in Nigerians, the administration has exacerbated feelings of hopelessness since assuming office one year ago.
Yusuf, a former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), expressed his disillusionment during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, asserting, “People have lost hope. It pains me to see our people lining up to collect cups of palliatives. Renewed Hope has turned into hopelessness. People have lost hope.”
President Tinubu, whose campaign centered on the promise of ‘Renewed Hope,’ took office on May 29, 2023, following a contentious election earlier that year. Despite introducing reforms such as petrol subsidy removal and unification of foreign exchange windows, critics have vehemently opposed these policies, attributing them to soaring inflation and a skyrocketing cost of living, which have sparked protests and widespread criticism across the country.
Yusuf criticized the administration’s handling of the economy, condemning it as a year of “deception, destitution, and hopelessness.”
He highlighted the detrimental impact of policies that have pushed millions into multidimensional poverty and forced children out of school due to the inability of parents to pay fees.
Furthermore, Yusuf disparaged the economic management team, characterizing its members as “tax collectors” rather than “economists,” asserting that taxation does not stimulate economic growth, but rather production.
As the nation grapples with economic challenges and social unrest, Yusuf’s critique underscores growing discontent with the Tinubu administration’s ability to fulfill its promises of renewed hope and prosperity for all Nigerians.