Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, has criticised the Nigerian government, stating that it is now run by “kakistocrats” – a government run by the worst, least qualified, or most unscrupulous citizens.
During an interview with ARISE NEWS on Thursday, Ndume emphasised, “The government is also populated by kleptocrats, but unfortunately that is not what the president is up to; he really meant renewed hope, but you can only do that when you have people around you that are on the same type of thinking.”
Ndume expressed concern over recent government policies, such as the cyber crime levy, which faced public opposition. He noted, “When the president realised that he had not heard about it, he quickly suspended it.” He highlighted the significant challenge of hunger and food scarcity, mentioning that inflation has risen to 40%.
“In some places, even with your money, you won’t find the food items you want to buy, which is very dangerous,” Ndume added.
He pointed out that Nigeria has never been included among countries facing severe food crises or food insecurity, but recent UN and World Food Programme figures rank Nigeria as a hotspot.
“For people like me, I have to be scared because I’m 64 years old with 10 children, 20 grandchildren, and I don’t have a passport or visa to anywhere,” he said.
Ndume criticised the limited access to the president, stating that some ministers only meet the president during council meetings and that the president is often the first to leave. “I’m the chief whip, and if the chief whip can’t have access to the president, the new senators won’t have access either,” he said.
He contrasted this with former President Obasanjo’s administration, where any senator could see the president within 24 hours.
He expressed concern that the president is “caged in” and that there are no visible efforts by the government to address pressing issues like climate change. Ndume stressed the need for the president to harness Nigeria’s natural and human resources, urging him to “get the right people into office” and dominate his government with democrats.
“The president needs people who will realise his dream and tell him when something is wrong,” he said.
Ndume supported the removal of the fuel subsidy, hoping it would eliminate corruption and allow savings to benefit the people. However, he suggested the introduction of food stamps to manage the subsidy issue better. He recounted sending messages to people in the presidential villa about public anger, only to receive responses blaming the opposition.
“When people in power start responding like that, then I’m worried for the president and myself; there’s a problem out there,” he concluded.
NNEOMA UDENSI
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