Former Minister of Communications Adebayo Shittu has revealed that he currently struggles financially because he did not engage in corrupt practices during his tenure in office as a minister.
Shittu made these remarks during an appearance on the AIT program Focus Nigeria, where he provided personal anecdotes highlighting the economic struggles faced by Nigerians.
The Oyo state-born lawyer served under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration from 2015 to 2019. According to him, life after public office can be tough for those who do not embezzle public funds.
Shittu expressed deep concern over the worsening poverty rate in Nigeria, stating that many citizens have been reduced to begging for survival.
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The former minister, who resides in Ibadan, recounted how a Nigerian from Bauchi recently called him, pleading for just N1,000 to buy food, having gone two days without eating.
He also narrated how another woman persistently called him 30 times in a single day, desperately seeking N3,000, which he himself did not have at the time.
Shittu lamented that poverty in Nigeria has been “weaponized” to the extent that voters often prioritize immediate financial assistance over assessing the capability of politicians to effect real change.
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“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 stated.
According to him, life after public office can be tough for those who do not embezzle public funds. He disclosed that he now relies on monthly contributions from his ten graduate children for his upkeep.