Dele Momodu, a prominent chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has claimed that many ministers and officials in the presidential villa are reluctant to tell President Bola Ahmed Tinubu the truth about the challenges facing his administration.
In an interview with Channels TV on Monday, Momodu, who recently penned an open letter to President Tinubu expressing his displeasure with the state of the nation, shared his concerns about the administration’s performance. The veteran journalist attributed the government’s failures to attempts to replicate the Lagos governance model in Abuja.
Momodu also criticized the administration for appointing friends and associates to key positions, regardless of their qualifications. “I believe in a star-studded cabinet,” he said. “If you ask me today, President Ibrahim Babangida, minus the June 12 annulment, had one of the best cabinets in Nigeria. Obasanjo also assembled a competent team. Today, I would struggle to name ten ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet and what they did before their appointments. That is the truth.”
He continued, “We are failing because someone tried to transfer the Lagos template to Abuja. I have traveled to Australia and everywhere, you will find Nigerians excelling. Where are these talented individuals? In today’s Nigeria, appointments are based on connections, not competence. We cannot continue operating on the basis of compensating friends and former schoolmates.”
Momodu concluded by emphasizing that many officials’ livelihoods are tied to Tinubu, making them hesitant to speak the truth. “I know what a lot of them say behind closed doors when they talk to us,” he added.
