Donald Duke criticizes Tinubu for buying presidential jet while Nigerians struggle
Former Cross River Governor Donald Duke has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision to purchase a new presidential jet, calling it a “failure in leadership” given the widespread hunger and economic hardship many Nigerians are facing.
The presidency announced on Friday, August 30, that it had acquired a new Airbus A330 to replace the 19-year-old Boeing B737-700 from the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
“There is no glamour in saying your people are going through hard times; it is a failure of your leadership,” Duke said during an appearance on Inside Sources, a Channels TV program. “If I am the head of a family, I want my family to have everything. I don’t want life to be difficult for them.”
Duke emphasized that if life is difficult for people, it indicates a failure to provide adequately. “I would ask him (Tinubu) to see the Nigerian nation as his family. What is good for his family is good for the nation. Buying a new aircraft or yacht or living large is a failure. You can’t have kids who are hungry and you are living lavishly, going to parties and wearing the biggest agbada.”
Regarding Nigeria’s security issues, Duke urged President Tinubu to hold heads of security agencies accountable. “Hold the security agencies responsible for a failure of security. There should be consequences. You cannot sit down and say you are a DPO, commissioner of police or you are GOC and crime is being committed in your domain. Hold them responsible.”
He also called on President Tinubu to tackle the country’s economic problems with local solutions rather than relying on international organizations. “The IMF or the World Bank would not give you those textbook solutions. It has to be an indigenous solution to our problems,” Duke added.
