In a candid interview, Kofoworola Bucknor-Akerele, former deputy governor of Lagos State, criticized President Bola Tinubu for his refusal to heed advice, stating, “He believes he knows it all.” As the country grapples with severe economic challenges, Bucknor-Akerele expressed her concerns, saying, “There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel,” and highlighted the struggles faced by ordinary Nigerians.
She also reflected on Tinubu’s tenure as governor, arguing that he has not effectively contributed to Lagos’s development. Her comments come amid rising food inflation and increased fuel prices, exacerbating the hardships faced by citizens.
“There is no consolation I can give them because I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. The situation is bad. In fact, it is appalling. People cannot eat. Even I have to watch my finances now because there are so many people that I have to help.”
“When my phone rings in the morning, it is somebody asking for financial assistance. When the situation is like this, it is really terrible” she stated.
“I am sorry to say that I think it has been a disaster. It has been a complete disaster because [Muhammadu] Buhari’s government was bad enough and one would have expected that Tinubu would have tried to turn things around, but he has not done that. He has been playing to the gallery. He has, in fact, been spending money on himself and his cronies, instead of actually doing something to better the life of the ordinary man.” she further said.
Kofowola also argued that Tinubu did not work effectively as a Lagos state governor, arguing that the development witnessed in Lagos cannot be ascribed to him.
“I don’t know what he did in Lagos. Lagos has become a big slum. That is what I can see. He says he saved the Bar Beach or Victoria Island from being swallowed by the Atlantic Ocean, but all that he did was to push erosion further down the coast to Alpha Beach. What kind of saving is that? I cannot attribute any development in Lagos to him.”
This comes amid economic challenges facing the country with food inflation and general inflation threatening survival of Nigerians.
The federal government also raised the price of petroleum per litre recently, adding to the hardship facing the country.