Subsidy Policy: Right Idea, Wrong Execution – Ezekwesili Speaks Out

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has said that defending the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is an extremely difficult task.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Ezekwesili made the remark while reacting to Minister of Interior, Tunji Ojo’s call for Nigeria to prioritize research and development as a path to prosperity.

Speaking during a panel session at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) conference in Enugu on Monday, the former minister argued that defending President Bola Tinubu’s administration, in light of its poorly executed policies, is nearly impossible.

“It is a tough job to defend the APC government. You may adopt the right policies, but once implemented wrongly, it creates serious problems,” she said.

Citing the removal of fuel subsidy as an example, Ezekwesili noted that although the policy itself was necessary, its hasty and unprepared execution triggered spiraling inflation.

“The reform was not well-prepared for. It was a good reform carried out in the wrong way. The consequence is devastating because inflation is punishing the citizens, especially the poor who have no safety net. It was a good reform, done wrongly,” she stressed.

Ezekwesili further urged lawyers and the judiciary not to enable corrupt political practices or bow to the whims of the ruling elite who disregard the plight of the masses.

“The belief that politics is a pathway to wealth is abnormal. Any profession that validates or rewards such prebendalism cannot claim to care about the future.

“Today, 133 million Nigerians are trapped in poverty. The legal profession plays a crucial role in shaping the rule of law. This country is lying prostrate under the weight of poverty, and unless the judiciary holds the political class accountable, nothing will change,” she lamented.