From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has challenged President Bola Tinubu not to taint the New Year with an address that will not proffer immediate steps to address high cost of fuel, food crisis, as well as address security challenges in the country.
The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said this is imperative as past broadcasts by President Tinubu allegedly dwelled on rhetoric and “unsubstantiated statistics.”
The party noted that the President Tinubu’s past broadcasts, in the past 18 months,was also allegedly dwelled on “false promises, conjured performance claims and validation of flawed elections without concrete mechanisms to address insecurity, resuscitate the economy, create jobs, ensure credible elections and guarantee better living standard for Nigerians.”
Consequently, the PDP noted that President Tinubu must speak to the issues of unbridled corruption, deceit, budget padding, reckless and wasteful spending directed to fund luxury appetite of APC leaders, insensitivity to the pains of citizens and total disregard to the obligation of government which has made life unbearable for Nigerians under his watch.
Furthermore, it challenged President Tinubu to use his New Year Address to account for billions of Naira that have reportedly accrued to the country from the removal of fuel subsidy .
“Mr. President should come clean on his public commitment to fight corruption by ordering an investigation and recovery of the over N25 trillion reportedly stolen by APC leaders and officials in government who have turned government agencies to Automated Teller Machines (ATM) to siphon funds for their benefit while other Nigerians wallow in abject poverty, hunger and starvation.
“Equally worrisome is the failure of the APC government to revisit and address the reported cases of alleged State-backed killings in various parts of the country, particularly the 2020 EndSARS killings and inhuman denial of the massacre of promising Nigerian youths in that sad and repulsive incident.
“The last 18 months have been the most excruciating period to Nigerians since the civil war with citizens now resorting to suicide and slavery mission aboard due to the hopeless situation foisted by the anti-people policies of the suppressive, exploitative and insensitive APC government which continues to reject every appeal and suggestion for review of such policies.
“More disheartening is that while Nigerians die of hunger and insecurity, APC leaders and officials in government continue to flaunt their luxury appetite and lifestyle in utter disdain to the feelings of millions of impoverished citizens.”
The PDP implored Nigerians not to lose hope but remain law-abiding, as well as approach 2025 with “optimism of a new dawn in their determination to defend our nation’s Constitutional Democracy, adherence to the Rule of Law, demand for transparency and accountability in government; in firm resistance to suppression and pervasive violations by the APC.”