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ADC: Onanuga “No Hunger” Comments Reflect Tinubu’s Disconnection From Reality
ADC: Onanuga “No Hunger” Comments Reflect Tinubu’s Disconnection From Reality
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Tinubu administration of grave insensitivity, following comments by Presidential Spokesman Bayo Onanuga that he does not see the level of hunger and hardship being reported across the country.
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In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said Onanuga’s views reflect the dominant thinking in the Tinubu-led government, which it said confirms its long-standing position that the administration is disconnected from the reality faced by millions of ordinary Nigerians.
The full statement read:
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned recent comments by Presidential Spokesman, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, claiming that he does not see the level of hunger and hardship Nigerians are talking about. Those comments are not merely insensitive; they are a startling admission of how disconnected the APC government has become from the realities of the people it governs.
When over 80% of Nigerians are struggling to feed their families, pay school fees, afford transportation and keep their businesses alive, it is extraordinary that a senior presidential spokesman can publicly suggest that the hardship is somehow overstated or even contrived.
The truth is that Nigerians are not faking their suffering. The unprecedented cost-of-living crisis confronting the country today is the direct result of the ill-conceived and poorly executed economic policies of the Tinubu administration, which have thrown millions more into acute poverty since this government came to power. Food prices have soared, transportation costs have multiplied, the value of incomes and savings has been eroded, and millions of Nigerians who were managing before are now trapped in economic distress.
This is not opposition propaganda. It is the daily lived experience of ordinary Nigerians in every state of the federation.
What makes Mr. Onanuga’s comments particularly troubling is that they reveal a government that has become tragically insular and could no longer do anything differently. A sensible government does not measure the effects of its policies by merely looking at the people within its immediate circle or driving through paved roads.
It must listen to the people in the markets, on the farms, in the classrooms, in the workshops and in the streets. If the Presidency genuinely cannot see the hunger and hardship that Nigerians are talking about, then it raises serious questions about whether it sees the people at all.
The APC government will undoubtedly point to roads infrastructure projects as its achievements. While even this is debatable, the fact remains that Nigerians cannot eat roads.
The first responsibility of any government is to create economic conditions in which citizens can afford food, find jobs, run businesses and live with dignity. On this most fundamental test, the Tinubu administration has failed. After three years of promises, excuses and appeals for patience, the reality for 62% of Nigerians is that life is harder today than it was when this government took office.
The ADC believes that leadership begins with honesty. The question is no longer whether Nigerians are suffering; Nigerians already know that they are. The real question is whether this government is prepared to acknowledge the consequences of its policies and accept responsibility for its historic failures.
ADC
Until it does, comments such as those made by Mr. Onanuga will only reinforce the growing perception that the APC government is out of touch with the people and unwilling to confront the damage its economic policies have inflicted on ordinary Nigerians.
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Signed:
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, National Publicity Secretary, African Democratic Congress (ADC)
How Governor Eno Connects Akwa Ibom Communities with Dualized Roads
The infrastructural development plan of the Akwa Ibom State Government includes the linking up of all the 31 LGAs with dualized roads from Uyo, the state capital.
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With the addition of Nsit Atai and Okobo, we now have about 18 LGAs linked with dualized roads from Uyo.
The dualization of Ibesikpo Asutan-Nsit Ibom-Nsit Ubium roads to link up with the Eket-Etinan-Uyo dualized road is ongoing right now and scheduled for completion in 2027.
Also ongoing is the dualization of the Okobo-Udung Uko – Mbo road to the site of the Ibom Deep Seaport.
The Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno had expressed the readiness of his administration to dualize the road from Ikot Ekpene to Ikono and Ini LGAs in his 2nd term.
Hopefully, at the end of the tenure of the current administration in 2031, the number of dualized roads linking the 31 LGAs may increase to 24.
With this number, Gov Umo Eno will hold the record of constructing the highest number of dualized roads (8 LGAs) from Uyo to the 31 LGAs in the State.
Akwa Ibom
This is aside the construction and dualization of other roads in the state capital like the Uyo Village road and Section 4 of Ring Road 3 which is scheduled for commissioning this November.
The combined tenure of Obong Victor Attah, Godswill Akpabio and Udom Emmanuel linked up 16 LGAs with dualized roads from Uyo the state capital.
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Customs Strengthens Inter-Agency Collaboration with Six Agencies to Tackle Money Laundering
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has engaged six federal government agencies to strengthen inter-agency collaboration in tackling cross-border illicit financial flows, money laundering, corruption, drug trafficking, terrorism financing, and other related offences.
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The three-day visit, held from 27 to 29 October 2026, was led by the Assistant Comptroller-General in charge of Headquarters, Muhammad Shuaibu. It focused on deepening strategic cooperation and intelligence sharing among the agencies to combat financial crimes and other illicit activities.
The agencies include the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), and the National Counter-Terrorism Centre under the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
Speaking during the engagements, Shuaibu expressed that the initiative was aimed at enhancing inter-agency coordination in addressing threats to Nigeria’s economy and national security. “The sole objective of this mission is to effectively detect and disrupt cross-border illicit financial flows. The measures include field visits to selected border stations to assess practical Customs control measures and engage with relevant agencies.” Shuaibu Said.
In his remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of the NFIU, represented by the Chief Operating Officer, Intelligence Security Service Sector, Muhammed-Mustapha, commended the Nigeria Customs Service for its efforts in combating smuggling and reinforcing border security. He also noted the longstanding relationship between the two institutions. “When NFIU was created, NCS was the first to collaborate with us. No particular agency understands things better than how Customs does globally,” Mustapha said.
Meanwhile, the World Customs Organisation (WCO) Mentoring Team, led by Shahiduzzaman Sarkar, interacted with the agencies on approaches to addressing Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT). The team also called for stronger collaboration with the NCS to ensure the success of the initiative.
Nigerian Customs9
During the engagements, participants identified communication gaps, bureaucracy and database privacy concerns, among others, as impediments to effective inter-agency collaboration. The discussions also explored measures to address these challenges and strengthen institutional synergy.
The engagements also featured the presentation of NCS awards and WCO certificates to the agencies, demonstrating the Service’s commitment to enhance collaboration in tackling threats to Nigeria’s economy and national security.
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Nigeria Customs Move to Neutralise Online Scams, Fake News with AI Data Tracking
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has begun efforts to neutralise rampant fake news and online scams that damage the Service’s image by integrating new-age digital data-tracking intelligence tools.
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The Comptroller-General of Customs (CGC), Adewale Adeniyi, represented by the National Public Relations Officer of the Service, Deputy Comptroller of Customs Abdullahi Maiwada, disclosed this on Friday, 30 October 2026, at the just concluded Neccipr Roundtable ’26 Edition held in Lagos, with the Theme: Algorithm Influence & Public Relations.
Maiwada explained that as a communicator, it is important to ensure the general public understands and accepts why officers carry out their duties.
“The role of AI cannot be over emphasized especially within our operations. Over the years AI has been deployed in our core operational duties as well as strategic communication. AI has also been deployed to aid risk management, which involves assessment of the risks in imported items so that they can be categorised according to their different levels of risk to enable appropriate customs interventions,” he said.
Maiwada explained that artificial intelligence can also analyse sentiment and understand how people perceive Customs activities. He added that the Service is using every available platform to establish facts while working with other agencies to arrest those behind misleading information.
Earlier, the convener of the Neccipr Roundtable ’26, Nkechi Ali-Balogun, said the program began with a simple conviction: public relations professionals must not only manage messages but also lead national discourse.
Nigeria Customs
“This year, we confront a question that touches every one of us. When machines decide what we see, who is really shaping the Nigerian mind? Who now controls the flow of information that shapes what Nigerians believe? We live in a rapidly changing world, powered by AI, where a single algorithm can shape political narratives, throw out conspiracy theories, and dictate what millions read, believe, and share,” she said.
The event also included keynote addresses from the President and Chairman of the Governing Council, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Ike Neliaku, and former Federal Minister of Education, Obiageli Ezekwesili, among other invited dignitaries, showing professional readiness to sustain the standard of credible information
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