Professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi, has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, declaring that Nigeria is currently in a worse condition than it was during the military rule of the late General Sani Abacha.
Utomi made the remarks during an interview on Nigeria Info 99.3FM while discussing the state of the nation and recent concerns raised by the Catholic Bishops of Nigeria.
According to him, the views expressed by the Catholic Bishops reflect the concerns of many Nigerians and are the outcome of a structured decision making process within the Catholic Church.
He explained that various groups within the Church, including the Justice, Development and Peace Commission, contribute to discussions on national issues before positions are presented at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria, CBCN.
“The bishops have had a meeting before they went to see the president. The speech delivered by Cardinal John Onaiyekan generally reflects the collective concerns of the bishops, although individual members may still hold personal opinions,” Utomi said.
Drawing a comparison between Nigeria’s current situation and the period of military rule under Abacha, Utomi argued that the country is facing greater challenges today.
“I think we’re in a worse condition than under Abacha. There’s no doubt about it,” he added.
The political economist also attributed part of Nigeria’s current challenges to what he described as the failure of the country’s 1998 transition from military rule to democratic governance.
