Arise Television anchor, Rufai Oseni, has questioned President Bola Tinubu’s account of his past, following his recent revelation that he once drove taxis in the United States.
Oseni said Nigerians were gradually learning new details about the President, recalling that Tinubu had previously spoken about inheriting substantial real estate wealth from his parents.
The broadcaster made the remarks on Thursday during Arise Television’s Morning Show while reacting to Tinubu’s account of his achievements and promises.
He said the revelation about taxi driving was new, noting that Tinubu had, during an interview with the BBC ahead of the last presidential election, spoken about inheriting significant real estate from his parents.
“President Tinubu talking about all the promises he has done, at least it’s a new one, we know that he drove taxis in America.
“That’s a new one because I thought that the last interview, the one he held at BBC during the last election, he said he inherited great real estate from his parents.
“So I’m happy now that he drove taxi. At least we know that he drove taxis, but he also said he inherited great real estate wealth from his parents. So I mean, we’re getting to know a lot of things about him,” Oseni said.
The Arise anchor acknowledged some of the initiatives highlighted by Tinubu, including the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, NELFUND, investments in hospitals and funding for universities.
He, however, questioned the impact of the initiatives on ordinary Nigerians, arguing that the government’s claims of achievements should be measured by their effects on citizens.
According to him, access to healthcare remains a concern, while complaints by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, suggest that challenges in the university system have yet to be fully addressed.
Oseni also questioned the impact of government borrowing, saying Nigerians were not seeing corresponding improvements despite the loans being collected.
“But the question is the trickle-down effects. Are people still getting access to healthcare? Is he revamping the healthcare sector?” he queried.
He further argued that the government needed to demonstrate how its spending and borrowing had translated into tangible benefits for Nigerians.
“We are not seeing a lot of spending as regards the budget. You are collecting the loans. We don’t see the effect of the loans,” he added.