Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, a veteran Fuji musician popularly known as Kwam 1, has expressed concern about the increasing hardships and widespread insecurity under President Bola Tinubu’s eight-month administration.

Singing at an event on Thursday, Kwam 1 highlighted the need for the president to address issues such as economic hardship, hunger, insecurity, and the continuous freefall of the naira.

He lamented the fuel crisis, currency devaluation, and the impact on working Nigerians’ salaries, emphasising the lack of electricity and rising kidnapping cases.

“Fuel crisis and naira freefall have made salaries worthless for working Nigerians. Nigerians are crying and weeping; we are suffering and there is no electricity,” Kwam 1 said in his lyrics in Yoruba.
“Nigerians are angry; traders are angry; why is kidnapping on the increase?”

Despite his support for Tinubu and the APC during the 2023 elections, Kwam 1 felt compelled to relay the message from his fans regarding the current state of affairs.
The Fuji veteran is a longtime ally and praise singer of Tinubu, who seems to be his major source of income.

While expressing confidence in Tinubu, Kwam 1 urged him to act swiftly to provide relief, reassuring citizens to be patient as he believed Tinubu would restore stability.

“I am begging citizens: let us be patient with Akanbi (Tinubu); he will restore everything,” he added.

Known for his outspokenness in political matters since Nigeria’s return to democracy, Kwam 1 criticised former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his songs in the early 2000s, accusing him of mismanaging Nigeria’s resources and failing to fulfil campaign promises.

Taofeek Oyedokun is a correspondent at BusinessDay with years of experience reporting on political economy, public policy, migration, environment/climate change, and social justice. A graduate of Political Science from the University of Lagos, he has also earned multiple professional certificates in journalism and media-related training. Known for his clear, data-driven reporting, Oyedokun covers a wide range of national and international socioeconomic issues, bringing depth, balance, and public-interest focus to his work.

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