Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South, continues his vocal criticism of President Bola Tinubu, a stance that led to his removal as Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate.
Despite the fallout, the outspoken lawmaker remains unwavering in his commitment to speak truth to power.
Addressing journalists, Ndume commented on the recent agreement between Tinubu and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to raise the minimum wage to N70,000.
“People are suffering, people are angry, people are not happy. I am happy that yesterday, the president agreed with NLC to increase the salary to N70,000, which is a good move, but it takes more than that because, realistically, that is like a bag of rice, money that will buy a bag of rice or cover the cost of a bag of rice,” Ndume stated.
Ndume emphasized the need for President Tinubu to listen to the people’s concerns and act accordingly.
He reiterated his belief that it is patriotic to speak the truth, even when it is difficult.
“I insist it is unpatriotic to stand by the president in whichever or whatever he does. It is patriotic to speak the truth not only to the president but also to anybody, for that matter. It is unpatriotic not to speak the truth to power or anybody and I still stand by that. In doing so, it is also known that God is always with the person that speaks the truth.
“So, I know that I am not wrong. The people are not wrong by speaking the truth and standing by the truth, and I pray that the president, who is now – I expect that the message has gotten to him – to look at what I have said and take appropriate measures to eliminate the sufferings of the people,” Ndume added.
