To Tell A Starving Nation to Fry Akara While Leaders Feast on Billions Is a Cruel Mockery of Our Pain — NRM Replies First Lady Oluremi Tinubu

To Tell A Starving Nation to Fry Akara While Leaders Feast on Billions Is a Cruel Mockery of Our Pain — NRM Replies First Lady Oluremi Tinubu

 The National Rescue Movement (NRM) has strongly criticized comments attributed to First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu encouraging Nigerians to embrace small-scale ventures such as frying akara and engaging in other petty trades as a means of survival amid the country's worsening economic hardship.

Reacting during a media interface in Abuja on Saturday, June 27, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Comrade Peter Letsuwa, described the remarks as insensitive and disconnected from the realities confronting millions of Nigerians.

According to Letsuwa, advising a starving and economically distressed population to settle for menial livelihoods while political leaders and public office holders continue to enjoy enormous privileges amounts to "a cruel mockery of the pain and suffering of ordinary citizens."

"To tell a hungry nation to fry akara while the ruling elite feast on billions is not leadership; it is a painful reminder of the widening disconnect between those who govern and those who bear the burden of failed policies," he said.

The NRM spokesman argued that although there is dignity in honest labour and entrepreneurship, government officials must distinguish between encouraging enterprise and normalizing economic hardship as an acceptable condition for citizens.

He maintained that millions of Nigerians already work tirelessly in informal sectors but remain trapped in poverty due to inflation, unemployment, poor infrastructure, and what he described as a lack of people-centered economic policies.

"Nigerians are not lazy. Across the country, people are farming, trading, driving commercial vehicles, running small businesses, and engaging in countless forms of legitimate work. The problem is that the economic environment has become hostile to productivity and prosperity," Letsuwa stated.

The opposition party further accused the ruling establishment of failing to demonstrate the sacrifice and prudence it continually demands from ordinary citizens, insisting that public office holders must lead by example through transparency, accountability, and moderation in government spending.

The NRM called on the federal government to prioritize policies that create sustainable jobs, strengthen local industries, provide affordable credit for small businesses, and tackle rising food prices rather than offering what it termed "simplistic solutions to a complex national crisis."

"Leadership requires empathy. At a time when families struggle to afford basic necessities, statements that appear to trivialize their suffering only deepen public frustration and erode confidence in government," the statement added.

Comrade Letsuwa concluded by urging the administration to engage more meaningfully with the realities facing ordinary Nigerians and to implement reforms capable of restoring economic hope, social justice, and national dignity.

The party reaffirmed its commitment to advocating policies aimed at rescuing the country from poverty, insecurity, and economic decline, insisting that every Nigerian deserves not merely to survive, but to live with dignity and opportunity.