Theo Abu Agada, Director of New Media and Strategic Communications for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has retaliated against Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Advisor on Information and Strategy, for his assertions that the situation in Nigeria is not as dire as some people portray it.
In response to Onanuga’s remarks, Agada claimed that those that surround the President, such as Onanuga, don’t give him the truth.
Millions of Nigerians go to bed hungry, according to the NDC chieftain.
He said that Tinubu’s tenure as Nigeria’s president has been a complete failure.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is paying attention to these individuals.
Every day, while praising him, they tell him that everything is good with Nigerians.
The fact that millions of Nigerians go to bed hungry every day is not disclosed to the president.
In response to Onanuga’s remarks, Agada tweeted on his 𝕏 Account on Wednesday, “They don’t tell the president the truth that he has been an absolute failure.”
As previously reported by Naija News, Onanuga stated that the situation in Nigeria is not as dire as some people make it seem.
He claims that in order to lessen the impact of hardship on residents, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has implemented a number of policies and initiatives.
The presidential spokesperson contended that the reality in Nigeria differs from what many critics depict.
Onanuga submitted it on Tuesday when speaking with Arise Television.
He supported his assertion that the level of hunger frequently represented by detractors is not the true condition in Nigeria with examples from the student loan fund, single-digit lending facilities to workers, and a number of road and infrastructure projects.
In the interview, Onanuga recounted a recent trip from Ibadan to Lagos when he saw a recently built concrete road in Shagamu. He claimed that this experience shows how many Nigerians now have better travel experiences.
“I chose to take Ijebu-Ode via Shagamu after Google Maps informed me that there was a slowdown on the approach to Lagos one day while I was driving from Ibadan to Lagos. The thing that most surprised me was that I was suddenly on a concrete, paved road. “Wow, when was this one built?” I asked him.
He continued by saying that the road has altered the public’s opinion of the local population.
“I discovered that our people—that is, our Ijebu people—no longer complain.” The presidential media assistant added, “Oh, no wonder they now have a brand new road that’s not just an asphalt road, a concrete road.”
Onanuga also discussed the effects of the coastal highway project, claiming that it has shortened citizens’ travel times and is one of the advantages Nigerians are reaping from the Tinubu government.
“I’m from Ajah. Every time I travel to Lagos, Google Maps tells me that it will take me one hour and seven minutes to come home. We now have a seaside road, which has reduced my journey time. Previously, it was two hours and thirty minutes,” he explained.
“Is that not advantageous? What exactly are people discussing?
Onanuga claimed that because the government has made the student loan program available, parents no longer have to worry about the financial strain of paying for their children’s college education, and workers can now use low-interest credit facilities.
“Are your four college-age children not benefiting if you are a parent and they have access to interest-free federal loans?
“If you work for the government and have access to a credit card, you can get a very low-cost loan with interest rates of about 7%. People can now obtain that loan at a single digit. Do they not also reap the benefits? Onanuga enquired.
The presidential media assistant contended that a number of conclusions on events in Nigeria are predicated on presumptions and tales propagated by individuals with a certain goal, which frequently ignore the positive advancements.
He declared, “We have been categorized into certain presumptions and conclusions.”
He recalled a video of the President returning from a mosque in Lagos that went viral in the early days of the Tinubu government, with a voice-over implying widespread hunger.
“I believe the President traveled to Lagos and was leaving the Central Mosque when someone performed a voice-over that said, ‘Ebi n pawa o,’ which means we’re hungry. People have been saying it ever since,” he remarked.
Onanuga conceded that economic difficulties still exist, but he maintained that, based on direct conversations with locals, the situation is not as dire as some would have us believe.
“I’m from Nigeria. I have individuals working for me on a private basis. He remarked, “I see them and I keep asking them how things are, how are they adjusting, what are the problems, so I don’t see the level of hunger people are talking about.”
