Tinubu Is ‘Caged,’ Unaware Of Nigerian Hunger Crisis, Senate Chief Whip Ndume Claims

Senate Chief Whip Ali Ndume said President Bola Tinubu was unaware of the hunger many Nigerians faced, due to be "caged" in the Presidential Villa, which was preventing honest discussions with him.

While speaking with journalists at his office in the National Assembly complex on Wednesday, Ndume said Tinubu was "not in the picture of what is happening outside the Villa. He has been fenced off and caged. So many of us won't go through the backdoor to engage him," Punch reported.

"Now they have stopped him from talking and he doesn't have public affairs managers, except that his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, who writes press statements. Nigerians are getting very, very angry."

The senate blamed the government for not doing anything about food scarcity, emphasizing that immediate actions were needed to save the country due to its lack of food reserves.

Ndume noted that there was unavailability of food across Nigeria, noting that this was the worst any country can face. He also highlighted that the security crisis in the country made the situation worse for the citizens.

He urged Tinubu to "wake up," adding that "it seems he isn't in the picture of what is happening because he has been caged off. He has been fenced off by plutocrats."

The senate advised the president to open the doors and meet those people who wanted to tell him the truth about Nigeria's condition, stressing that "unfortunately, the people who will tell him the truth won't struggle to meet him. I am very worried not only for the president himself but myself."

During Tuesday's plenary session, Ndume co-sponsored a motion to alert the federal government about the food shortage in the country. After discussions, the Senate urged the federal government to promptly tackle the issue.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio also mentioned plans to distribute approximately 60 trucks of fertilizer to each state via governors by the weekend to combat food insecurity. Each serving senator will receive two trucks of fertilizer while members of the House of Representatives will receive one each.