In a recent interview on Channels Television’s “Sunday Politics,” Professor Usman Yusuf, a member of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), criticized President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, describing it as a source of increased hopelessness for Nigerians.
Professor Yusuf expressed his disappointment, stating that instead of providing the Nigerian populace with hope, the Tinubu administration has exacerbated their sense of hopelessness over the past year.
He lamented the sight of citizens queuing for minimal palliatives and declared that the so-called Renewed Hope has deteriorated into a state of despair.
According to him, the past year under Tinubu’s leadership has been characterized by deception, destitution, and hopelessness.
Yusuf predicted that the administration would soon begin disseminating propaganda but questioned the tangible benefits delivered to ordinary Nigerians.
He criticized the government’s economic policies, claiming they have driven millions of Nigerians back into multidimensional poverty and forced many children out of school due to their parents’ inability to pay school fees.
Furthermore, Yusuf criticized the President’s economic management team, likening them to tax collectors rather than economists. He argued that the focus on taxation does not foster economic growth, which can only be achieved through increased production.
President Tinubu, who campaigned on the promise of Renewed Hope, was inaugurated on May 29, 2023, following a closely contested election in February 2023.
