Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar says President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies and approach to governance are inflicting pain on Nigerians.
The Presidency had lashed out at Atiku, saying the former Vice President was criticising Tinubu’s administration over jealousy.
Reacting via a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Monday, November 11, 2024, Atiku said the challenges bewildering Nigeria should be Tinubu’s focus rather than attacking the opposition.
Shaibu said: “It is ludicrous to claim that Atiku is jealous of Tinubu. Hell no, Atiku cannot be jealous of Tinubu inflicting pains on Nigerians. Wickedness is an exclusive preserve of Tinubu and no compassionate leader who truly cares about the wellbeing of Nigerians should be jealous of what is an exclusive preserve of T-Pain.
“It is disheartening that during the last protests, some frustrated young Nigerians were waving Russian flags and calling on the military to take over. God forbid we return to those dark days, but leaders must not push their citizens to a point where citizens choose fire over frying pan.
“Nigeria is currently the worst performing currency in Africa and is now the fifth largest economy on the continent, falling from first when the failure called APC took over in 2015. Most Nigerians are at their wits’ end, not knowing where their next meal will come from. This should be Tinubu’s biggest concern instead of fiddling while the country burns.”
He added: “The brazen disobedience to a government policy by Tinubu’s appointees and the failure of the finance ministry to issue a gazette after over four months reflects the fatuousness, inanity and incompetence that characterizes the Tinubu administration.
Atiku to Tinubu: Your economic policy hurting Nigerians
“Sadly, rather than focus on governance, they are preoccupied with verbally assaulting their opponents – Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi – while using compromised courts to foster crisis in the opposition.”
Atiku’s spokesman stated that Tinubu’s “abysmal performance” in the last 18 months had made it clear to all Nigerians that he came into office unprepared, hence the “many policy flip-flops that has so far characterised his tenure”.
Shaibu noted: “Tinubu was obviously unprepared for office. He acts first and thinks of the consequences afterwards. This was why he announced an abrupt removal of petrol subsidy without any cushions. After seeing the effect, he then hurriedly decided to push a CNG initiative, which even he and his ministers have not embraced, hence their refusal to use it.
“The CNG initiative has so far failed to fully kick off because of a lack of gas infrastructure in most states. The result is that transport costs continue to soar along with prices of food.”
He further described as unfortunate the announcement by the military authorities on the emergence of a new terror group, Lakurawa, in Sokoto State.
Shaibu also accused Tinubu of playing politics with security by appointing his kinsmen in top security and economic positions.
Shaibu added: “Even on the economy, he put his kinsmen in every key position beginning from finance minister, trade and investment, CBN, Customs and FIRS. Even President Muhammadu Buhari was not this brazen.
‘Nigerians rejected you’: Presidency slams Atiku over alternative reforms
“Unlike Tinubu, Atiku is not a bigot. He has also not refunded money to the United States for alleged drug trafficking.
“Despite a huge revenue challenge, Tinubu commits over $13 billion to the controversial Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, rendering scores of Lagos residents homeless just to please his associates while other pressing matters are starved of funds.”
Atiku’s spokesman, however, urged Tinubu to “make hay while the sun shines as Nigerians had grown tired of his administration.”
The Star
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