DESPITE Nationwide Hardship,
SEE What Tinubu Just Said That EXPOSED He Doesn’t Think Nigerians Are Suffering (MUST READ)
In responding to an attack on the Federal Government’s handling of the increasing hardship across the country which every Nigerian has been lamenting about, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued a rather shocking statement on Sunday that hinted he doesn’t quite appreciate the extent to Which Nigerians are currently suffering.
Earlier on Sunday Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the
Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, in the
2023 elections accused President Tinubu of poor response to the economic challenges, which he said, has piled more misery on Nigerians,
In defending the President Tinubu led administration, Bayo Onanuga, Special
Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, boasted that “recent comparative cost of living indices show that Nigerians still enjoy the lowest cost of living in Africa.”
Mr. Onanuga in his response attacked Atiku, saying “Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has certainly found a new hobby to keep himself busy, having failed to achieve his lifelong ambition Of becoming the
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is increasingly carving for himself the role of opposition-in-chief to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his government.
“However, we notice that the former Vice-President, just like in his political contests, is also doing a poor job of it, offering pedestrian and uninformed interventions on our economy and other matters of public concerns.
“Atiku•s latest diatribe was another uncharitable commentary on the state of the economy and the efforts of the President Bola Tinubu administration in remoulding it for sustained prosperity.
“Nigerians can easily see through the hypocrisy of Alhaji Atiku, who in accusing President Tinubu of poor response to the nation’s challenges and causing pains and despair, didn’t offer any better policy options in his run for the Presidency different from the economic reform agenda being pursued by President Tinubu.
“All the major candidates agreed that the fuel subsidy regime, which had become an albatross on the economy, must end. They all agreed that the multiple exchange rates must be fixed. Where President Tinubu and Atiku differed was in selling NNPC Limited and other national assets. Atiku went for this so he could sell these important national assets to his friends and cronies.
“President Tinubu removed the subsidy from Day One and announced moves to harmonise the exchange rates. Since then, he and his economic team have been working vigorously to harmonise the rates and also end the rampant and criminal arbitrage that the multiple windows allowed.
“President Tinubu acknowledged, on different occasions, that the reforms his government is implementing will cause immediate pains, but will usher in an era of prosperity in the medium and long terms.
“Minus Atiku, reputable local and international agencies who understand the situation the Tinubu administration found itself have commended the administration, having seen a policy trajectory that is clearly positive, realistic and sustainable.
“Atiku’s claims that the private sector is shrinking and that multinational companies are leaving our companies in droves’ are not grounded on facts.
“His claim that the governments policies have created intense cost of living pressures are also not grounded on fact! as recent comparative cost Of living indices show that Nigerians still enjoy the lowest cost of living in Africa,
“Instead of mouthing platitudes every time in a bid to earn cheap political mileage, Alhaji Atiku who presumes himself as the leader of opposition should tell Nigerians what he would have done better if he had been elected President.
“Atiku should be honest enough to admit that President Tinubu inherited a weak economy which to all intents and purposes and to ensure the survival of our country needs a complete overhaul.
“The economy was plagued by decades of significant fiscal deficits, a low revenue base, high external and domestic debts, and huge debt service burden.
“The national budget Tinubu met in 2023 showed that 97 percent of revenue was to be spent on debt servicing, with little reserved for capital, thereby foreclosing growth and jobs.
“Confronted with this grim economic reality, President Tinubu faced a difficult choice Of balancing the political and economic costs of reforms against the risks of economic recession. His government chose the former, to keep the economy afloat and set it back on the path of growth and prosperity.
“President Tinubu is focused on solving our economic and security challenges. The fiscal and monetary policies his administration is pursuing are delivering unprecedented value to investors on the Nigerian Stock Exchange. Nigerian Stock Exchange is outperforming others in the world and is now the best, not based on bubble, but record profits by many listed companies.
“The administration has also embarked on comprehensive fiscal and tax policy reform that will drive speedy recovery and spur economic growth.
“Nigerians and the global investment communities trust the ability and competence of President Tinubu to deliver progress and shared prosperity.
“While President Tinubu and his able team are working very hard to make our country better, ensure our economy is stronger and more competitive, Atiku Abubakar and his cohorts may continue to belly ache,
“However, they cannot stop the serious work of nation-building already set in motion by President Tinubu,
Atiku in his attack on President Tlnubu is administration had said that the President’s performance on the economic front over the past six to seven months has been disastrous.
Atiku said, “The economy’s performance has, in recent weeks and months, been a subject of intense discourse among Nigerian citizens at home and abroad,
“Nigerians are gravely concerned, and rightly so, that Tinubu’s poor response to Nigeria’s economic challenges is setting the stage for a prolonged and deeper domestic economic crisis.
“His economic policies, drawn from a so called renewed hope agenda, are ironically dashing hopes, creating pain and causing despair.
“The private sector is shrinking by the day as small businesses are emasculated and as Multinational companies, confused and weary of the economy, leave Nigeria in droves.
“The intense cost of living pressures has created more misery for the poor in towns and villages. There is HUNGER IN THE LAND as basic commodities, including BREAD, are becoming out of reach for average Nigerians.
“His 2024 budget is a business-as-usual exercise, bereft of concrete ideas and actions that would support Nigeria’s journey toward economic transformatior — Consisting mainly of wasteful expenditures to cater to a bloated Federal Government. Budget 2024 will not facilitate growth and cannot empower our citizens to earn a living ant live a decent life.
“BAT has shown no capacity to deal with the adverse and disastrous impact of thf new subsidy regime on the people and businesses and the new foreign exchange policy, which provides for a free-floating exchange rate.
“His initiatives are literally uninformed, arbitrary, and chaotic, BAT’s palliatives are too mean, Pitiable, and contemptuous of the poor. He seems genuinely lost, bewildered, and overwhelmed,
The former Vice President (1999-2007) further said, “To mask their failures, BAT and his political appointees are busy blaming his predecessor in office for bequeathing a ‘dead’ economy.
‘”This is a familiar game popularised by former President Buhari while in office. Il reinforces what we already know: that BAT came into office unprepared.
“Tinubu and his economic management team must swallow their pride, admit their missteps and failures, and follow those who know the terrain. They must act fast before the economy sinks deeper into the abyss. The question is, will they?’
Similarly, fiery Enugu priest, Rev. Fr. Ejike
Mbaka, on Sunday, tackled the President Tinubu’s administration over the level of insecurity and hardship in Nigeria.
Fr. Mbaka, who said there were many obstacles on President Tinubu’s Way to becoming the president, including the Naira redesign policy, said he succeeded by an act of providence.
He, however, said the president was yet to exhibit political Will towards solving the countryis problems.
He singled out corruption in the oil sector, Which he said was under a certail cabal, but regretted that President
Tinubu Was yet to go against them.
The charismatic priest said these while delivering a homily at his Adoration Ministry in Emene, Enugu State.
He asked the President to wake up, stressing that God was watching him
“Mr. President, you can do it; to fix Nigeria is not difficult if the leader has the will power.
“I know that this one will make national news but let it be.
“What is happening in the oil sector? How many barrels are being produced and how many dollars are in the Nigeriar account?
“A country like Nigeria that exports millions of barrels of oil per month, how much are we saving?
“Why is it difficult up till now to fix other refineries? Who are the cabals? Can’t they be de-canibalized? Cabals can be de-canibalized if the president has the will power; hell will not fall, heaven will not fall.
“These people can go to jail; after all, many of them did not support you; so why are you protecting them? Mr
President, wake up, God is watching you to see what you can do,” Mbaka said amid cheers from his parishioners.
He went further to say that the citizens were all heartbroken, urging the president to fix things fast.
According to him, “Our hearts are broken go to our schools, see how messy the government schools are; are we taking care of our teachers and our doctors? Look at how they are- when they travel abroad, they begin to mine money in pounds and dollars.
“Teachers once they retire, no gratuity, nc pension; the hearts of the retirees are broken; let there be a law that will bring solution to all these maladies.
“Heartbreak everywhere, look at our police and military, their hearts are also broken; what kind of guns are the policemen using? When the senior squac passes, they will kill the policemen on the watchpost and carry their guns and run away, What happens to their families when their husbands die on the duty post?
“No compensation; the next one minute, they chase them out of the barrack; those who are in Borno forest fighting Boko Haram, what is happening to their families at home? Who is taking care Of them?
“The hearts of their family members are broken, shattered; they are fighting those with bombs with catapult; those people they are fighting are carrying launchers;
“How many young men have we buried and still burying; insecurity everywhere.”
The Catholic priest also warned that a higher wave of hunger was underway in the country if insecurity was not dealt with.
He said, “We are asking people to go to the farm and produce; but if you enter the farm, herdsmen with AK-47 will enter the farm and kill the farmers, who will gc to the farm anymore?
“Hunger, as I told you last two years, has not even started; I won’t tell you lies; everybody should be meaningfully engaged, start something.
“In Nkerefi last time, about six women who were farming were killed and their stomachs brought out; who will go to the farm there again? The fear is there.
“Even politicians Who think they are safe in their comfort zone, you are not safe because the level of insecurity will come to your doorstep one day.”
Turning again to Presdent Tinubu, Mbaki said, “‘l know that this man that has come to be the president of the country if he submits himself to God, with enough will power, God has blessed him in wealth, he has not come as a beggar, like many politicians who failed election and they almost committed suicide because they used all they have to do election.
“Jagaban is not a poor man; so he can do something extraordinary do it the other way round; shock all these people who are criminals; devise a policy that Will bring security, bring joy to the Nigerian people and you will see there will begin to be a meaningful transformation.
“Look at the bank of today giving people loans with interest Of 25 per cent, some 26, some 27, how can you pay back? With which collateral?
“So, what’s the hope of the youths? All they need is encouragement, empowerment and support. Nigeria will be better than China; we can Dubanize Nigeria; The youths are waiting for the healing of their broken hearts.”
