RIPPLES NIGERIA
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has come in for serious backlash after he said that the failure of then federal government to develop Nigeria was because northerners were marrying multiple wives and having many children indiscriminately thereby constituting a huge problem for Nigeria and a burden on the government.
Fayose who made the comments during an interview on Channels TV on Monday night, said there was no reason for Nigerians to embark on a protest as the hunger in the country did not start under Tinubu but as a result of the huge population from the north.
When asked what he thought the government could do to alleviate the sufferings of millions of Nigerians under Tinubu’s watch as Nigerians prepare for the #EndBadGovernance protests on August1st, Fayose said:
“The reason why it is difficult for Tinubu to develop Nigeria is because Northerners are giving birth to children they can’t cater for.”
He went on to recount a personal experience on how he came to know about indiscriminate marriage and childbearing in Northern Nigeria.
“Let me say this. I went to one state in the North. I don’t want to mention the name of the state. I was there for three days. During my stay, I became familiar with people around the government house where I stayed.
“I sat outside and started speaking with one or two people. I asked the gateman how long he had been in government work. He said he had spent 26 years. I asked how much his salary was. He said it was small, N34,000. I asked how many children he had. He said 16. I asked how many wives he had. He said four.”
“My brother, the problem is inside… For God’s sake, if somebody is earning N34,000, what can the government do with 17 children? We don’t want to be unrealistic.
“Another person said he has eight children and three wives, with one of his wives still expecting.
“A lot has to be done with our people too. Because when you have children and you go into government, a government that is struggling to survive, it is difficult when you are asking me what I would say to them. What do I say to a man who has 17 children and four wives?”
The former governor’s comments however, elicited outrage on social media with many users faulting his statements which they believe is an indictment on a section of the country.
