10 controversial flashpoints that defined President Tinubu’s one year in office have been compiled below.
NewsOnline Nigeria reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration has clocked one year yesterday, May 29, 2024.
Beyond the celebration, the one year in office has been filled with moments, some that the government is not proud of.
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Here are some of the moments.
Chaotic Ministerial Screening
Building a team was one of the major talking points of the president and his handlers during the campaign. He was quick to remind the citizens of the cabinet he assembled during his tenure as the governor of Lagos State.
Nigerians were expecting this “team” that would transform the country.
However, when the president finally produced the team, the list got mixed reactions.
Meanwhile, the sudden removal of Maryam Shetty shortly before her screening gave the impression of a disorganised villa. The last-minute addition of Festus Keyamo sent the wrong signal.
Also, the debacle over the screening of former governor Nasir El-Rufai further reinforced the argument of a disorganized team of the president.
Four of the nominees did not scale the screening, while two of them had question marks on their NYSC certificates.
Finally, the changing of portfolios of the ministers before the inauguration was viewed by many as a lack of preparation by the president and his handlers.
Betta Edu
The suspended Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu gave the administration its first litmus test of dealing with corruption.
During the campaign, Ms Edu was very close to the president, and she was one of the people who answered questions for the president during the discourse at the Chatham House in London.
So, her nomination and allocation of the powerful ministry did not come as a surprise to many. Alas, the minister slipped on a banana peel shortly in the administration.
Some of the revelations that came out of the ministry and the NSIP gave the administration some serious embarrassment. For instance, the minister approved the payment of over N500 million into private accounts.
The government was swift in sending the young minister on suspension and ordered a total review of the ministry and all the humanitarian interventions.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior, was also linked to the scandal; however, he survived by dissociating himself from the company involved, stating that though the company belonged to him, he resigned in 2019 when he was elected
Presidential yacht
Allocation of billions for the procurement of a “presidential yacht” by the Navy gave the Tinubu’s administration some serious blow as headlines in major newspapers portrayed a government that is insensitive to the plight of Nigerians.
Subsequently, the explanation that the yacht was not a “luxurious yacht for the pleasure of the president” did not sway many, who have observed a pattern in the administration in terms of preaching austerity measures to the citizens while the presidency lives in luxury.
Dubai visa announcement
Shortly after a meeting with the leadership of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the handlers of the president announced the immediate lifting of the visa ban imposed by the Emirates.
Many lauded the president for his deft diplomatic move to resolve the problem. Nigerians uploaded pictures of them celebrating the win. Some airline booking sites even added Lagos-Dubai routes on their website
However, the announcement by the aides turned out to be false. Several international and local media organizations subsequently debunked the report.
Seyi Tinubu using presidential jet to watch polo
The influence of Seyi Tinubu in the government of his father has consistently put the administration in a bad light.
When the president’s son travelled in one of the presidential jets to watch a polo match in Kano, the government was slammed by critics.
Pundits on television stations have also raised questions on how the children of the president often follow their father to state visits.
Breakdown of presidential jets
Recently, President Tinubu had to charter a commercial flight from the Netherlands to Saudi Arabia following the breakdown of the Airforce One.
Also, the vice president, Kashim Shettima had to cancel a foreign trip because of the need to repair his jet.
The government was ridiculed by the opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives, who asked the president to use either commercial planes or buses for trips.
There is currently an ongoing investigation into the status of the presidential fleets by the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence.
COP28 and the huge delegation
Last year, almost everyone that counts in the administration was in Dubai for the climate change summit. Even actress Toke Makinwa, who has no footprint on climate change, was also pictured in Dubai.
It was later revealed that Nigeria’s 1,411 delegates was one of the highest at the summit, but many Nigerians expressed concerns over the development because of the economic situation in Nigeria.
However, the government claimed that it funded only 422 people.
Months later, the president announced a cut on his travelling entourage and did the same to major officials around him.
Coastal Road Project
The N15 trillion coastal road from Lagos-Calabar was initiated to be the legacy project of the administration. However, it has been marred in controversy.
The controversy over the alignment of the road cost many home and business owners in some parts of Lagos.
After the demolition of some hospitality outfits in the new alignment, the government announced it’s going to revert to the old alignment from kilometres 16-25 due to the presence of some marine cable.
Opposition figures like Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar have condemned the president over the process of the construction of that road.
Cybersecurity levy
This levy also highlights a lack of coordination within the administration of President Tinubu.
It would be recalled that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu had ordered the full implementation of the Cybercrime Act.
The CBN subsequently issued a circular to all commercial banks for the payment of the 0.005 levy on all transactions.
After public outrage over the policy, the House of Representatives passed a resolution that the government misinterpreted the law, and called for a halt in implementation.
President Tinubu later called for the suspension of the law for further review.
Fake news from the villa
In the one year of the administration, the communication team of the president has been a major source of embarrassment to the government, churning out false news and statements to the press.
The media team stated in September that Tinubu was the first African leader to ring the closing bell of the National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation System (NASDAQ).
However, Jakaya Kiwete, former president of Tanzania, rang the NASDAQ closing bell in 2011.
In a statement, the presidency later said the error was “deeply regretted”.
The same team announced the $600 million investment by A.P. However, the company later debunked it.
Less than 24 hours ago, the two main spokespersons, Bayo Onanuga and Ajuri Ngelale issued two conflicting statements on the president addressing the joint session of the National Assembly.
Mr Onanuga had issued a statement that the president, alongside the former Head of State, Abdulsalam Abubakar, David Mark and Femi Gbajabiamila is going to address the joint session, however, Ngalale issued a counter statement that the president won’t address the joint session.
