Former Senator Dino Melaye didn’t hold back when he went after President Tinubu on Monday, blasting the administration for what he calls reckless borrowing while Nigerians are struggling to put food on the table.
Speaking on ARISE Television, Melaye questioned why the government keeps piling up debt when people are hungry and suffering.
“There’s massive hunger everywhere. Why is the president borrowing $1.7 billion from the World Bank? Why has the Senate approved $21 billion so far, with even more requests coming?” he asked.
The outspoken politician called Tinubu’s government one of the “most reckless in Nigeria’s history,” pointing to what he sees as wasteful spending during tough economic times.
“This is the same president who said he wanted to stop waste, but then he bought a yacht.
That yacht has never even touched Nigerian waters – it’s been cruising between Monaco and Paris.
What do we need a yacht for when people are starving and we’re supposed to be cutting costs?” Melaye said.
But perhaps his sharpest jab came when he joked about where all this borrowing might lead.
“He’s borrowed more than any president we’ve ever had. If you’re making more money, then why do you need to keep borrowing?
At this rate, don’t be surprised if the president starts taking loans from Opay and Moniepoint soon,” he quipped, referring to popular Nigerian fintech apps.
Melaye’s criticism comes as more people are raising red flags about Nigeria’s debt situation.
The African Democratic Congress recently warned that the country’s public debt could hit ₦200 trillion before the year ends if this borrowing spree doesn’t stop
