By Samuel Olusegun Precious
Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung has described President Bola Tinubu’s 66th Independence Day broadcast as “rhetorical, wishful & ambitious but very, very disappointing & empty.”
Dalung made the remarks on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, shortly after the President’s address to mark Nigeria’s 66th Independence anniversary. He said the President’s speech failed to focus on concrete achievements since 2023 and did not address critical issues affecting Nigerians, including insecurity, agriculture, unemployment, hunger and poverty.
“But all that the president has done was to tell Nigeria the same stories: ‘Oh, be patient and expect our reforms will yield,'” Dalung said.
He particularly questioned the economic growth figures cited by the administration, arguing that statistics mean little if they don’t translate to food on the table.
“So if we have recorded 4% economic growth, how has that been able to affect an average Nigerian? Because it has to be translated into putting something before the ordinary Nigerians.”
“How does that 4% affect the cost of transportation and the purchasing power of Nigerians?” he asked.
Dalung also faulted President Tinubu’s reference to Nigeria as a cancer patient when he assumed office in 2023, asking when the recovery would come.
“The question is, when shall the cancer victim recover? Because it does appear that the surgery has put him in a coma,” he said.
