former Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung, has said that if President Bola Tinubu wants Nigerians to make sacrifices to adapt to the policies of his government, the sacrifice must start from him as the President and number one leader in the country.
Dalung said this in an interview with Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily Programme on Tuesday, October 10, 2023.
The former minister also described the economic policies of Tinubu’s administration as inhuman.
According to him, the policies have pushed up the rate of inflation and caused Nigerians hardship.
“When you demand sacrifice, sacrifice should begin with you as a leader then people will follow. That’s why people are referred to as followers but the reverse cannot be the case,” he said.
This comes amid public outrage following a private trip by President Tinubu’s son, Seyi and his friends in a jet in the presidential fleet to Kano State to watch a polo tournament as reported by SaharaReporters on Monday.
SaharaReporters also reported that Seyi and his entourage were welcomed on arrival to the ancient city by state government officials.
Meanwhile, according to Dalung, the sudden removal of fuel subsidy by the Tinubu government without adequate provision for palliatives is wrong.
“You have inflation rising, you have costs of living increasing. I mean Nigerians cannot afford to eat,” he said. “The policies of this government from May 29 have not been too favourable to the common people.”
Dalung said it would be wrong to blame former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration for the challenges confronting Tinubu’s government.
“The argument by people in government that they inherited this’ it is the same APC government. Most of the people who are defending this were also in Buhari’s government. Are they now saying the exit of Buhari on May 29 changed things? No, it is not a new government, it is the same APC, the same manifesto, they have no difference,” he said.
Dalung also described Buhari as a failure.