“Rice Palliative Misses the Mark: Atiku’s Aide Demands Beans Be Added – FG, Take Note!”

Babatunji Wusu –

Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has raised a critical alarm about the federal government’s approach to alleviating economic hardship in Nigeria. Shaibu argues that if the government persists in using rice as the primary solution to the nation’s economic woes, Nigerians could face a serious risk of thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency.

In a sharp critique posted on his X handle, Shaibu accused the federal administration of being out of touch with the harsh realities faced by ordinary Nigerians. He lamented that the government’s strategy of distributing rice as a remedy for all economic problems—resulting from President Bola Tinubu’s policies—fails to address the root causes of these issues.

Shaibu wrote, “Have the aides of President Bola Tinubu forgotten their primary school lessons? I remember a wise teacher once explaining that a diet overly reliant on white rice can lead to Beriberi, a condition caused by a lack of vitamin B1, or thiamine deficiency. Yet, we are witnessing this strange approach: No power? Serve rice. No fuel? More rice. Poor governance? A bag of rice. Floods? Rice again. High electricity tariffs? Rice.”

He further emphasized that this pattern of relying solely on rice must end. “At the very least, mix in some ‘ewa oloyin’ (honey beans) with the rice to prevent our people from suffering from Beriberi,” Shaibu added.