Onaiyekan: ‘People are dying of hunger,’ Nigeria’s first astronaut tells Tinubu

Nigeria’s first certified astronaut, Chief Owolabi Salis, has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to revisit the submissions of Catholic bishops led by former Cardinal John Onaiyekan in the national interest, noting that as men of God, the vantage position enabled them to share the pains of ordinary people and deliver the same to the authorities in a blunt manner.

The chartered accountant and lawyer, who spoke from the United States, hinged his advice on the wisdom and leadership roles of the clergymen, noting that the truth remained that so many people were dying and only those who were concerned and felt it would raise their voices.

“The truth is that so many people are dying—it is those who are concerned who feel it, and Cardinal Onaiyekan is a consistent voice of reason that cannot be ignored.

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“Today alone, I know the number of people that have called me for one assistance or the other.

“I spent the large chunk of my resources on so many poor homes in Nigeria that I sometimes ask myself whether I am being stupid,” he said.

Salis said the government needed to change strategy, adding that President Tinubu needed to constantly remind himself of the onerous responsibility of governance of the people and should constantly be working on how to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.

“Unfortunately, he seems detached from the people each time you hear talk about his administration.

“The truth is that people are dying of hunger across Nigeria and that should concern every Nigerian, especially the President who is the custodian of the people’s mandate.

“When you put a reform that is very painful to the people, you must show that you are in the same boat with the people.

“It is true that government is bringing down the price of food, but you have to look at it from the angle of the income of the people; the bitter truth is that many people are so poor in Nigeria that they cannot buy such food because they lack the purchasing power,” he stated.

“Though I am in the United States, I feel the pinch of the suffering of the people because I interact with the people almost on a daily basis.

“Part of the problem is corruption because resources of state meant for the people hardly get to them.

“The rich people do not have the problem of food, but the real challenge is how to get food to the poor who cannot afford to eat.

“Remember a minister in charge of welfare of the poor was involved in corruption, but till today we have not heard that she has been sanctioned,” he said.