Human rights activist Madubuachi Idam has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s inability to address the naira-dollar crisis and high food prices, attributing it to the appointment of career politicians as ministers.
News About Nigeria reports that Idam argued that these politicians, who prioritise building bridges and culverts, lack the expertise to address economic issues.
He said that Nigerians should not evaluate politicians solely based on their infrastructure projects, but rather on their ability to drive economic growth.
Idam specifically criticised a cabinet member who spent 48 billion naira on a redundant airport in Ebonyi State, which has remained unused since its commissioning.
He described this as “economic cluelessness” and called for an investigation into the funds spent on the project.
Idam stressed that such wasteful spending does not benefit the state or its citizens but only serves to boost the politician’s image.
He urged Nigerians to demand more from their leaders and to prioritise economic substance over political grandstanding.
According to Idam, Nigerians must stop rating politicians by the number of bridges they built while in office.
He said, “You cannot have a presidential cabinet dominated by career politicians and expect the dollar to crash against naira, or that food prices should fall.
“How can you surround yourself with ex-governors whose economic trajectory is only the building of bridges and culverts and you expect not to fail in your mandate?
“For instance, one of the cabinet members of President Tinubu sunk 48 billion naira from his state’s poor treasury into building an idle airport that has remained fallow till date, even after one year of its commissioning. And such a person is heading his Ministry of Works and you expect things to go right?
“Lavishing the sum of 48 billion naira out of the state’s budget to build a colourful airport that serves no purpose other than decoration, was the height of economic cluelessness that could be exhibited by any leader anywhere in the world.
“Till date, no plane has either landed in Ebonyi State Airport or taken off from it, ever since the stage-managed landing by the then-Governor during its commissioning in 2023, which was arranged for optics.
“Nigerians must stop rating politicians by the number of bridges or flyovers they built while in office.
“Ebonyi State House of Assembly must commence an investigation into the funds spent in building that airport. We cannot continue to sit idly and watch our common patrimony wasted on white elephant projects that serve no interest of the state except to score cheap political points.”
