Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, has shared a video capturing mile-long queues of Nigerians waiting for palliatives outside President Bola Tinubu’s Bourdillon residence in Lagos on Christmas Eve.
The senator posted the video on his X account, highlighting the pervasive nature of poverty across the country, even in amongst president’s kinsmen, the Yoruba people.
“Queues for presidential handouts at Bourdillon on Christmas Eve highlight a sobering reality. Poverty knows no tribe, religion, politics, or region. It is a universal challenge that demands collective action and sustainable solutions,” Mr. Ndume wrote.
His comments follow recent tragedies at palliative distributions in Oyo, Anambra, and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), where stampedes left over 60 people dead.
President Tinubu’s tradition of offering assistance to the needy during the festive season has been ongoing for years, with similar scenes going viral during the 2023 Christmas period.
However, Mr. Ndume used the moment to underscore how poverty, traditionally linked to the Almajiri system in the North, is also surging in the South due to harsh economic policies introduced since Tinubu assumed office on May 29, 2024.
According to the World Bank’s December 2023 Nigeria Development Update, titled ‘Turning the Corner: From Reforms & Renewed Hope, to Results,’ the country’s poverty rate increased from 40% in 2018 to 46%, raising the number of poor people from 79 million to 104 million.
The report cited “sluggish growth and rising inflation” as the primary drivers, pushing 24 million additional Nigerians below the poverty line.
Despite the alarming rise in poverty, President Tinubu recently stated during a media chat that Nigerians need to “manage.”
Meanwhile, reports allege that after assuming office, he acquired a new luxury Airbus A330, a yacht, and a bulletproof Escalade.
Credit: Peoples Gazette
