The High Cost of Incompetence: Seyi Law Criticizes President Tinubu’s Cabinet Choices

In response to the hardship being experienced across the country, comedian Seyi Law wrote an open letter to President Tinubu. The letter, which Seyi shared online, stated that President Tinubu will be saddened if he loses the goodwill of over 8.9 million people who voted for him in the 2023 election because of the incompetence of his cabinet members.

As a result of the removal of fuel subsidies in 2012, President Tinubu and others staged a protest against then President Goodluck Jonathan. The comedian asked the President to think about what the protest would be if Nigerians trooped into the streets due to hunger, insecurity, and inability to afford basic necessities. As the President marks one year in office this May, he argued that everyone should be assessed, and those found lacking should be allowed to leave.

His open letter reads

‘’Mr. President,

@officialABAT

I know you’re not new to the complexity of governance in Nigeria, and I truly hope you’re feeling the pulse of the nation at this point in time. I am one of your ardent supporters, and I won’t hesitate to be one of your critics when necessary. Sir, may I cast your mind back to 2012 when your party was able to convince Nigerians who had just had a beautiful yuletide celebration to take over the street in protest of the removal of subsidy on fuel. It was such a turning point for Jonathan’s administration and ushered in President Muhammadu Buhari. It might interest you to know that I wasn’t one of the Nigerians convinced then to vote Buhari. Can you now imagine what great protest it would be for Nigerians to troop into the streets because of hunger, insecurity and inability to afford basic amenities?. I don’t want to imagine it and talk more of joining them.

Your Excellency, good intentions are mere intentions without proper implementations. There are certain things that I expected will be quickly fixed to mitigate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal. I am yet to see a fully implemented plan in the short term. I used Moses and the Israelites’ journey from Egypt as an analogy in one of my write-ups, and it wasn’t a mistake. It was deliberate as you probably know that the Israelites got to a point and began to complain, preferring to go back to slavery in Egypt rather than moving forward. They got tired of Manna, and now Nigerians are asking, “Where is our manna for this time?” I waited for almost 2 years to join a protest against the former President Buhari’s administration because I believe that at least every new administration needs a minimum of one and a half years to stabilise. For every tick and tock on the clock, time is running on your administration.

Mr. President, it will be sad to lose the goodwill of over 8.9 million people who voted you because of the incompetence of the people in your cabinet. I believe at the mark of one year, there should be an appraisal of everyone, and those found wanting must go. Please, Sir, we are waiting patiently on the PCNG buses initiative and soft measures on food availability and affordability. The issue of electricity is deeply concerning. We need members of your cabinet to communicate more effectively with visible action plans. Nigerians followed the continuous updates from the minister of interior, the actions of Governor Wike, and the progress of minister Bosun Tijani. We are therefore forced to ask what the others are doing because we don’t want a situation where someone who served with you will enjoy the liberty of going on the media to proffer solutions where he or she one’s failed.

While I support your Excellency, I will keep asking the tough questions and not stop until you achieve success for the greater good of the nation. This nation must and should be better for all.

Thank you, your Excellency.

SEYILAW.”