From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said President Bola Tinubu media chat has further confirmed the insensitivity of the Federal Government to the hardship in the country.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, PDP said President Tinubu’s stance on the fuel subsidy removal confirmed the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration’s disconnect from the welfare of citizens.
President Tinubu, during the media chat, had said he had no regret ending the fuel subsidy regime at the inception of his administration.
However, the opposition party noted it is disturbing that while the government has failed to account for the proceeds from the fuel subsidy removal, Nigerians are being subjected to hardship on account of the policy.
The PDP urged President Tinubu to take a road trip from Abuja to Lagos as well as visit any market or take a walk on the street of any city in the country to appreciate the real situation in Nigeria rather than relying on fabricated statistics being bandied by officials of his government.
“The declaration by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that he has no regrets for the sudden removal of fuel subsidy without any cushioning measures to mitigate the resultant crippling effect on the productive sector, high cost of living and associated hardship which is now driving citizens to extreme poverty and early death also confirms APC’s disconnection from the primary purpose of government which is the welfare and security of the citizens.
“It is instructive that President Tinubu in the chat admitted that Nigerians are bearing the brunt of the failure and inability of the APC’s administration under his watch to effectively police and secure our nation’s borders to prevent the smuggling of petroleum products to neighboring countries.
“Nigerians are appalled that instead of admitting failure and seeking solutions, Mr. President again claimed that the nation’s economy has improved under his watch when in reality the situation has worsened with comatose productive sector, deteriorating value of the Naira at N1,700 to the Dollar, 34.6 percent inflation and 40 percent unemployment rates in the last 18 months.
“The widespread food stampede in various parts of the country which recently led to the death of about 80 Nigerians shows that our nation is indeed in perilous time under the APC.
“The PDP holds that there is no hope in sight under the APC given its failure to embark on meaningful investments in critical sectors including agriculture and food production, electricity, petroleum and gas, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises, which are the real drivers of the national economy.
“Also, alarming is President Tinubu’s claim that Nigerians can now freely and safely travel by road despite the horrible reality of banditry, kidnapping and armed robbery as well as the worsened condition of highways across the country under the APC.”
