Makinde Rates Tinubu’s Administration 34%, Faults Governance Performance

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has rated President Bola Tinubu’s administration 34 per cent, saying the government has made progress in some areas but needs to do more to address the country’s challenges.

Makinde gave the assessment on Friday during an exclusive interview with ARISE News, where he was asked to evaluate the President’s performance across key areas of governance.

Explaining his rating, the governor said the figure reflected the percentage of Nigerians who supported Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election.

“It’s just about the same percentage of the people that supported him in 2023. Thirty-four per cent,” he said.

Makinde argued that the President needed to win the support of Nigerians who voted against him in the last election to successfully implement his policies.

“You need the 67 per cent of Nigerians that were against him in 2023 to be on board. This is a massive number,” he added.

Despite his assessment, the governor commended Tinubu’s efforts towards establishing state police, describing the initiative as a positive step towards decentralising the country’s security architecture.

Makinde, who has consistently advocated state policing, said states should be allowed to establish their own police structures based on their capacity and readiness.

“The President has done well with the formation of the state police,” he said.

On education, the governor acknowledged the Federal Government’s student loan scheme but maintained that providing financial assistance to students was only a small part of the reforms needed in the sector.

He stressed the importance of teachers’ welfare and adequate security in educational institutions, arguing that both were essential to improving the quality of education.

“Having money for students to go to school… is a small fraction of what they’re supposed to do,” Makinde said.

“You need the teachers that are motivated. You need even security,” he added.

According to him, education reforms must go beyond providing access to funding and ensure that young Nigerians acquire the skills and knowledge required to secure employment or become entrepreneurs.

He acknowledged that addressing some aspects of the sector was a step in the right direction but warned that it would not automatically resolve its underlying challenges.

“If you have three or four pockets and one is being addressed, I would say it’s a movement in the right direction.

“But that alone will not solidly ensure that our children have skills and knowledge that can either make them employable or turn them into entrepreneurs,” he said.

The governor’s assessment comes amid his criticism of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, which he has argued have not sufficiently translated into job opportunities, improved incomes and better living conditions for Nigerians.

Although he acknowledged some macroeconomic stabilisation under the administration, Makinde maintained that more coordinated measures were needed to address the country’s economic, security and educational challenges.

He has also proposed his ‘Reset Nigeria’ agenda as an alternative approach to the policies of the current administration.

Join us on our WhatsApp Platform @KOIKIMEDIA NEWS YOUR PAGE

koikimedia Bringing the World 🌎 Closer to Your Doorstep