Former Governor Orji Uzor Kalu has defended the economic policies of President Bola Tinubu, which have been criticised for being harsh. According to the Senate chief whip, Nigerians are bearing the brunt of the unprecedented hardship caused by Mr Tinubu’s approach to resolving the nation’s intractable economic and security woes because they are lazy and accustomed to receiving “easy money”.

The former Abia governor made this statement on Tuesday, speaking with journalists at the National Assembly complex.

Mr Kalu said, “Since 1960, this is the first president — and I have the facts — who stopped the fuel subsidy. This is the first president who merged the dollar rates. That is why we are suffering — because Nigerians are not used to working hard. We’re used to getting easy money.”

“People used to sit in their houses, use their phones, get dollars, and sell at very high rates.”

The senator added, “Let me be honest with you. I’m a businessman, not a politician. There are only a few things that are not happening. The indices of Mr President’s policies might not be working down the line.

“People are still suffering — yes, I agree with that. But it has started trickling in at the macro level — that is, at the upper level, not the lower level.”

Mr Kalu begged for more time on behalf of the president, claiming that the country had turned the corner.

“So I’m hoping that in the next two to three years, the president’s policies will trickle down, and Nigerians will appreciate what he’s doing,” stated the politician.