The Executive Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, has come under criticism from Nigerians following his recent remarks about those questioning the economic reforms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
In a viral video, Adedeji challenged critics of the government’s economic policies to explain what they would have done differently.
He said some of the arguments against the reforms were concerning, asking critics to provide alternative solutions to the economic challenges facing the country.
Adedeji made the remarks while addressing President Tinubu, praising the administration for what he described as efforts to transform the country’s economic system.
His comments, however, generated strong reactions on social media, particularly on X, with several Nigerians accusing the revenue chief of being insensitive to the difficulties faced by citizens.
Joe Abah, a development professional and former Director-General of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms, described the remark as insensitive.
Abah said there were alternative approaches the government could have adopted to ease the burden of the rising cost of living.
He cited measures reportedly adopted by UK political figures to reduce the impact of living costs, including tax adjustments on domestic electricity, transportation fare interventions and support for vulnerable households.
According to Abah, increased government revenue could have been channelled towards measures designed to reduce the financial pressure on ordinary Nigerians.
“Those are some of the things I would have done differently at my own level,” he said in a post on X.
A lawyer, Vena Ikem, also criticised Adedeji, questioning the relationship between the government’s tax policies and the financial burden being experienced by Nigerians.
Ikem accused the revenue chief of arrogance and expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which the government has responded to criticism of its economic policies.
Another X user, Adekunle Oderinde, also joined the criticism, focusing on the size of government officials’ convoys.
Oderinde argued that the resources spent on official convoys appeared inconsistent with calls for Nigerians to endure economic hardship.
The backlash highlights the growing public debate over the impact of the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms, particularly taxation, inflation and the rising cost of living.
