Some Nigerians have expressed disgust over a video of President Bola Tinubu’s long convoy in Lagos.
The president had arrived in the country’s commercial city from London before the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.
A video posted on social media showed dozens of cars in the president’s convoy as he made his way to his residence on arrival in Lagos.
The video sparked outrage on social media, with many describing long motorcades as wasteful and insensitive, especially when Nigerians are asked to tighten their seat belts.
Dr Aloy Chife, an entrepreneur and philospher, didn’t hold back while commenting on the video.
He wrote on Twitter
“Self-esteeming creatures frolicking in Nigeria’s feudal idyll of poverty, corruption, mediocrity, entitlement and unearned privilege.
“Priapic peasant purveyors of poverty and underdevelopment. Insufferable whores of nothingness.”
Kalu Aja, an economist, was more concerned with the cost of maintaining such fleets.
“This goes beyond a spending problem into an optics problem Huge PMS-guzzling SUVs and an armada of luxury cars in a nation that has asked the poorest citizens to tighten their belts. This is tone deafness of the highest order. This is not leadership, it’s Marie Antoinette,” he wrote on Twitter.
Ose Anenih, a Peoples Democratic Party member, wrote:
”I counted 113 vehicles. It appears to be composed of more than one VIP’s convoy to be fair. Na Nigerians dey choke; allow the poor breathe. We’ve been forced into an austerity regime by this government.
”Displays like this are tone-deaf. President Tinubu needs to lead by example; his excitable media handlers must keep these displays of the excess away from us.”
Shehu Gazali Sadiq wrote:
“A country with the poorest people on earth, the highest unemployment rate, and the lowest minimum wage on earth have a president wasting money on fuel and cars.”
A journalist, Tomiwa Babalola, wrote:
”This is classic Yahoo boy behaviour. Lavishing so much despite his poor economic state. I hope we get to the point where we are liberated to genuinely hold these leaders responsible for how they discharge their duties and manage government funds.”
Saidu Imran, an automotive electrician, made comparisons by writing:
”Two Helicopters could easily save the treasury over N10 million In fuel money to throw up this miserable homecoming showmanship. Peter Obi will never be this insensitive and insulting.”