Show Leadership By Action, Not Appeals, On Social Welfare — Falana Tells Tinubu

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, tasks President on practical steps to tackle poverty

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lead by example in addressing the deepening poverty crisis in the country. He urged the President to go beyond rhetorical appeals and instead take decisive actions by prioritizing effective social welfare programmes.

Falana made this call in a public statement issued on Sunday, while reacting to President Tinubu’s recent remarks at a meeting with governors elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). At the meeting, the President acknowledged the severe economic hardship confronting Nigerians, attributing it to the effects of longstanding neoliberal economic policies.

“To you, the governors, you must wet the grass more and deliver progressive change to Nigerians,” Tinubu reportedly stated during the gathering. “May God bless our democracy and grant us more fertile lands.”

In response, Falana said the reality on the ground contradicts the President’s appeal, as millions of Nigerians continue to face unbearable living conditions. He emphasized that it is not enough for the presidency to make moral appeals to governors when the federal government itself is not setting the right example.

“Instead of begging state governments to ‘wet ground more’, President Bola Tinubu is urged to ensure that the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act is adopted and enacted into law by the 36 state governments,” Falana asserted.

He further advised that rather than channeling public funds into non-essential projects like the renovation of state houses, government at all levels should redirect resources toward pro-people policies capable of delivering immediate relief to the poor.

Recommended News:

• Neglect Of Adatan–Car Wash Road: Ogun State Government’s Silence Is Loud – AAC Chairman Afolabi Adeshina Sounds Alarm
• 10-Year-Old Boy, Jamaldeen Isiaka, Launches Inspiring Book Titled “God’s Time Is The Best” in Abeokuta
• “Politics Shouldn’t Divide Us” — PDP Candidate Asiwaju Oluwole Hails Sagamu LG Chairman Ogbeni Odulate On Birthday

The activist lawyer criticized what he described as misplaced priorities, arguing that symbolic gestures cannot substitute for real policy change. “A government that claims to be progressive must act progressively,” Falana said. “Nigerians are not interested in flowery speeches—they need food, jobs, healthcare, and hope.”

He urged President Tinubu to lead a new wave of reform by prioritizing social justice, transparency, and accountability, especially in the management of the country’s limited resources. According to Falana, the implementation of robust social welfare initiatives is not a matter of choice but a constitutional obligation under Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The human rights advocate also called on civil society organizations and labour unions to continue pressuring the government to fulfill its promises and address the widening inequality in the country.

As inflation soars and economic uncertainty deepens, many Nigerians await not just words—but bold and compassionate leadership that can reverse the tide of mass suffering.