Rotimi Amaechi, the former Minister of Transportation, has claimed that the economic policies implemented under President Bola Tinubu’s administration played a direct role in the passing of his mother.
Amaechi, who is the vice-presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the allegation during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, aired on Friday.
The former minister said his mother had been healthy before the Tinubu administration came into office but that the rising cost of medicines subsequently made it difficult for the family to provide the healthcare she needed.
He also argued that the economic hardship affecting access to medicines was not limited to his family, saying many Nigerians were facing difficulties in meeting their healthcare needs.
“Because policies are killing people. I’ve lost my mother. You want me to mention my friends who are 90 or 92 years old? Why do you think my mother couldn’t live up to 92? Tinubu was the reason. Before Tinubu, my mother was healthy,” he said.
“Before Tinubu, my mother was healthy. Suddenly, by the time Tinubu came, it was difficult to buy drugs for my mother. I know most of you won’t believe this.
“But the point I’m making is that there are so many persons whose parents have died who themselves are about to die, because by Tinubu’s removal, the NBS said last quarter, we spent N200 billion importing drugs. Forty percent of finished goods are imported.”
Amaechi has been critical of the Tinubu administration’s economic policies, including the removal of the petrol subsidy, which he has linked to the broader cost-of-living pressures facing Nigerians.
What You Should Know
Former Minister Rotimi Amaechi has brought national attention to the soaring cost of pharmaceuticals in Nigeria, linking the government’s economic reforms and subsidy removals to the inability of families to afford critical healthcare for elderly relatives.
- Positive Impact: Highlights the urgent humanitarian and healthcare challenges currently facing the nation, forcing greater public discourse on medicine pricing and medical accessibility.
- Potential Concerns: Draws stark attention to the severe economic hardships, inflation, and soaring costs of imported drugs that continue to burden ordinary citizens and compromise vulnerable family members’ health.
