The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has accused Nigerians of exaggerating the perception of hunger in the country.
Onanuga argued that many Nigerians are benefiting from the policies and economic reforms of the current administration.
Speaking on Arise Television on Tuesday, he defended the policies of the president and dismissed claims of widespread hardship and insecurity across the country, insisting that the perceptions of widespread hunger were being amplified by narratives that took root shortly after Tinubu assumed office.
“We have been pigeon-holed into certain assumptions and conclusions. It’s like in the early days of this government. Somebody did a voice-over saying that we are hungry. Since then, people have been saying that,” he said.
“I am a Nigerian; I have people working for me privately. I don’t see the level of hunger people are talking about because I see them and I keep asking them questions. How are things, How are they adjusting, What are the problems,” he added.
Recounting his recent trip from Ibadan to Lagos, he cited improvements in road infrastructure as one of the visible outcomes of the administration’s policies.
“One day, I was travelling from Ibadan to Lagos, and Google Maps told me that there’s a go-slow in the approach to Lagos, and I decided to take Ijebu-Ode via Shagamu.
“What struck me most was that I just found myself on a paved road, a concrete road. I said, ‘Wow, when was this one built?
“I found that our people, I mean, our Ijebu people, have stopped complaining. I said, ‘Oh, no wonder they now have a brand-new road that’s not just an asphalt road, a concrete road?” Onanuga Asserted.
He further spotlighted the ongoing coastal highway project, stating that it has eased movement for many commuters, including himself.
“I live in Ajah. Anytime I go to Lagos, and I ask Google Maps to tell me how soon I will get home, Google Maps will tell me one hour, seven minutes. Before, it was two hours, 30 minutes, and the reason for that is that we now have a coastal road that has shortened my travel time,” he said.
The presidential spokesperson further highlighted the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) and the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CreditCorp) as examples of programmes providing direct benefits to citizens.
“If you are a parent and you have four children in the university, and they are able to access a federal loan which is interest-free, are they not benefiting? If you are a civil servant and you can access CreditCorp, a very cheap loan at a single-digit interest rate, are they not benefiting?
“If you are a civil servant and you can access the credit card, a very cheap loan at below interest, it is about seven per cent. Now people can access that loan at a single digit. Are they not benefiting as well?” he asked.
Onanuga also accused the media of exaggerating the country’s security challenges, stressing that reports often create the impression that the entire country is unsafe.
“The media in Nigeria are even creating the problem. The way they report insecurity is as if the entire country is consumed,” he said.
He further cited a recent conversation with the managing director of NELFUND, who, according to him, travelled by road from Abuja to Kebbi without incident.
“Don’t let people frighten you that the entire country is under siege. It is not so. There are security breaches, but the entire country is not under siege,” he added.
Onanuga’s remarks came amid rising security concerns and economic hardship in the country of which many Nigerians including the presidential candidate of Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) Peter Obi, have called for the resignation of his principal, President Bola Tinubu.
