…..Flays FG’s borrowing, SUVs for lawmakers
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), has reminded President Bola Tinubu of the sufferings of Nigerians, partly linked to the removal of fuel subsidy.
CHRICED Executive Director Ibrahim Zikirullahi, at a press conference yesterday in Abuja, lamented that most parents could no longer feed their children.
Zikirullahi, represented by the Head of Programmes, Armsfree Ajanaku, said: The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED), we believe that the most pertinent and crucial point to begin this briefing is to focus on the terrible economic hardships that the people of this country face daily.
“Contrary to what government officials would have us believe, the people of this country are reeling from the severe pains and anguish of the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s many harsh, unkind, and economically draining policies.
“So far, nothing has changed to ameliorate the utter disaster of the former President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime, which Tinubu’s government is an extension.
“And it appears to us that the incumbent President and his team have been hell bent on using Nigerians as guinea pigs for experimentation in voodoo economics since taking office on May 29, 2023.
“This approach of experimenting with the lives of millions of Nigerians has led to worsening poverty. It has also multiplied the misery all over the land.
“Even where some stakeholders may concede that some policies are necessary to address the deep seated issues in the economy, the manner of implementation and the lack of commitment to consultation have left much to be desired.
“We saw this play out in the removal of petrol subsidy, where no consultations were made to prepare citizens for what was to come.
“The government put the cart before the horse by hastily removing the subsidy, only to start sourcing for solutions, after the effects of the policy began to bite and impoverish the citizens.
“The result is that the rug was pulled off the feet of most Nigerians, leading to the skyrocketing inflationary trends, which has further accentuated the poverty and destitution in the land.”
He, also, condemned the spree of borrowing by the Federal Government and the purchase of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) for lawmakers.
“CHRICED strongly condemns, the lavish, ungodly and opulent consumption patterns that governments have continued to exhibit, while Nigerians groan in hardships.
“Both the executive and legislative arms of the government at the federal level continue to exhibit profligate tastes, which do not reflect Nigeria’s current dire economic realities.
“CHRICED joins other Nigerians in expressing outrage about the National Assembly’s infamous and insensitive decision to vote the sum of N68.52 billion for the purchase of Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV).
“Even more self-indicting is the excuse of bad roads, which the lawmakers have given as the reason they need such expensive vehicles.
“The National Assembly by this position has admitted that it has not been playing its role in terms of making laws for the good governance of the country because if it was, it would have properly supervised the ministries, agencies and departments responsible for road projects.
“CHRICED is also aware that the executive is also deeply enmeshed in the culture of wasteful spending of public resources.
In conclusive, he described as repugnant the attack on the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joe Ajaero, in Imo State last week while attempting to address a rally against the non-payment of workers’ salaries is a tragic manifestation of this reality.
“CHRICED unequivocally condemns this descent into anarchy and stone age behavior in a bid to silence civic actors who insist on standing up for the rights and welfare of the poor and downtrodden.
“CHRICED supports the ongoing workers action, which should send a clear message to the perpetrators of such inhumane acts that they will be held accountable for their actions.
“CHRICED also calls on the labour leaders not to leave the quest for justice in the hands of the law enforcement institutions alone.
“Workers must collect all available evidence and proceed to courts within and outside Nigeria to ensure those involved in the assault on the NLC President are held accountable,” he added.