Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has strongly criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent address, asserting that it failed to address the core issues that have driven Nigerians to protest.
Ezekwesili stated, “Your speech reads like a page from your party manifesto and terribly failed to connect to what our citizens on the streets are angry and protesting about.” She highlighted that the president’s address missed a critical opportunity to provide sound solutions and evidence-based actions to address the widespread concerns about bad governance.
She further criticized the mindset reflected in the president’s speech, describing it as focused on perceived enemies rather than addressing the concerns of all citizens. “Your speech was sadly again written out of a mind-set that is focused on ‘getting back at our enemies’. Imaginary enemies at that! No true leader has the luxury of having ‘enemies’ among their citizens. Not at all. A public leader becomes the leader of ALL with a mind that does not think of any as their enemies,” Ezekwesili remarked.
Ezekwesili emphasized the importance of a unifying approach in leadership, expressing disappointment in the recurrent tendency of Nigerian public leaders to avoid taking responsibility. She noted, “It is ever unfortunate to see Nigerian public ‘leaders’ talk and behave like losers on matters of public governance where they are expected to rally their ALL citizens behind the common purpose of nation-building.”
In her critique, Ezekwesili also condemned the violent response to protests, saying, “It is nauseating to observe this recurrent innate unwillingness of Nigerian public leaders to admit responsibility for the demands of the same public leadership that they kill and maim citizens to assume.”
Overall, Ezekwesili’s comments reflect a broader sentiment of dissatisfaction with the government’s response to the ongoing protests, calling for more responsible and inclusive leadership that genuinely addresses the concerns of the Nigerian people.