Rights activist and constitutional lawyer Madubuachi Idam criticized President Bola Tinubu on Thursday for appointing career politicians as ministers, blaming this for the administration’s inability to resolve the naira-dollar crisis and reduce food prices.
In a statement, Idam argued that former governors, who primarily focused on infrastructure projects like bridges and culverts during their tenures, lack the economic expertise needed to tackle the country’s financial issues.
“You cannot have a presidential cabinet dominated by career politicians and expect the dollar to crash against the naira, or that food prices should fall,” Idam stated. He pointed out that appointing ministers with limited economic achievements hinders progress.
Idam highlighted a specific example, noting, “One of President Tinubu’s cabinet members spent 48 billion naira from his state’s budget on building an idle airport that remains unused even after a year. This same person now heads the Ministry of Works.”
He criticized the former governor of Ebonyi State for spending a significant portion of the state’s budget on what he termed a “white elephant project”—an airport that has seen no activity since its staged commissioning in 2023.
“Nigerians must stop rating politicians by the number of bridges or flyovers they built while in office,” Idam urged. He called for the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to investigate the funds allocated for the airport, emphasizing the need for accountability in public spending.
Idam’s statement reflects growing concern over the economic direction of the current administration and highlights the importance of appointing individuals with proven economic expertise to key government positions.
