Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North, has revealed that President Bola Tinubu is acutely aware of the economic hardships Nigerians are facing and is taking steps to alleviate them. Speaking during an interview on Politics Today on Channels TV on October 17, 2024, Kalu disclosed that Tinubu frequently drives around Abuja at night to experience firsthand the difficulties people are enduring.
According to Kalu, “The president himself knows that Nigerians are suffering and hungry. He is a street person; he knows the streets very well. Some nights, he uses his car to go around and see what is happening in Abuja here.”
Kalu stressed that the economic struggles Nigerians are facing are not unique to the country. He noted that the global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is still being felt in various nations, with Nigeria’s economy taking longer to recover due to pre-existing vulnerabilities.
“The impact of COVID-19 is still affecting economies globally. The only reason some countries are no longer feeling the effects as much as Nigeria is because they have had robust economies in place for a long time,” Kalu explained.
He emphasized that while other countries had built economic buffers over the years, Nigeria’s economy remains more fragile, thus amplifying the effects of the post-pandemic global crisis.
Despite this, Kalu expressed optimism about Tinubu’s leadership, stating that the president is working diligently to implement reforms aimed at stabilizing the economy. He urged Nigerians to remain patient as the government rolls out measures to ease the hardships.
This revelation about Tinubu’s late-night drives comes at a time when Nigerians continue to voice their concerns over inflation, high cost of living, and dwindling purchasing power. Kalu’s comments reflect an effort to reassure the public that the president is not disconnected from the realities on the ground.
