Someone called me 30 times because of 3k - Tinubu's appointee laments hardship

Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, the Chairman of the Governing Council of David Umahi University of Medicine in Ebonyi State, has lamented the effect of the prevailing hardship in the country.

Shittu, who served as the Minister of Communication under former President Muhammadu Buhari from 2015 to 2019, recently shared his experience during an AIT programme.

The Oyo-born politician recalled an incident whereby a woman who urgently needed N3,000 rang his phone 30 times in 24 hours, saying he also didn't have money to spare the needy citizen.

He said, “Yesterday, before I left Ibadan, somebody phoned me from Bauchi and begged me for N1,000. He said he had not eaten for two days.

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“Again, about a week ago, somebody also called me, a woman who wanted N3,000. At the time she wanted that money, unbelievably, I myself didn’t have that money, and the woman called me 30 times in one day”.

Shittu said he's alarmed by how poverty has been weaponised in the country to the extent that when politicians seek votes, people are now more concerned about what politicians can give them than what they are capable of.

“It’s not my business to douse the poverty of such people calling. So when you go to such people to ask for their votes or support, they don’t care what you’re capable of doing. What they are interested in is what they can get out of you today,” he said.

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He claimed that he currently doesn't have money because he didn't steal while in office.

The former minister stressed that life after political appointment can be extremely challenging for many government officials who didn't steal in office.

In July 2024, President Bola Tinubu appointed Shitu, alongside a former Lagos State Commissioner of Transportation, Muiz Banire, and Senator Florence Ita Giwa were appointed as the chairpersons of the governing boards for David Umahi University of Medicine in Ebonyi State, Federal University of Transportation in Katsina State, and Federal Polytechnic in Ugep, Cross River State, respectively among others.