SPOTLIGHTS
- Vatsa distributed cash to the elderly and vulnerable in his community
- Expressed concern over the economic hardship in Nigeria.
- Warned that the situation could lead to unrest if not addressed
- Urged President Tinubu to ensure that his economic reforms benefit all Nigerians
From John Adams, Minna
The former commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State, Mr Jonathan Vatsa, has said that the current economic situation in the country is taking a toll on Nigerians, saying that the hardship is real.
The APC chieftain stated this in Gulu Vatsa community, Lapai Local Government Area of Niger State, on Tuesday when he distributed cash to the elderly and the vulnerable in the spirit of the Sallah celebration.
Vatsa pointed out that the current economic challenges in the country have pushed a majority of Nigerians into extreme poverty, warning that if the situation is not addressed, the country might explode.
Read also: Sallah: Renew real hope, not hardship, Farah urges FG
He also blamed the rising insecurity in parts of the country on the current hardship, which, according to him, has pushed many impatient Nigerians into crime as the only means of survival.
“The number of Nigerians that have been forced into extreme poverty has doubled in the last year. The majority of Nigerians are on life support and are only surviving by the mercy of God.
“The country is sitting on a keg of gunpowder waiting to explode if the situation continues and nothing is done to address the growing hardship. It is an understatement to say that Nigerians are suffering,” he added.
While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the various reforms aimed at addressing the “dead” economy he inherited from the Buhari administration, which has brought the current hardship to Nigerians, Vatsa warned that the reforms must bear fruit in the end; if not, the government would have succeeded in shortchanging Nigerians.
“There is nothing wrong with reforms, but everything will be wrong with such reforms when they fail to bear fruit in the end. The current economic reforms have pushed Nigerians to the limit, and the benefits of them should not end in the pockets of a few individuals, as was the case in the Buhari administration.”
According to him, while Nigerians were constantly told to be patient with the Buhari administration and its fruitless economic reforms, “individuals in the government were busy enriching themselves with public funds.”
The former publicity secretary of the APC in the state appealed to well-to-do individuals in society to always remember the elderly, the poor, and the vulnerable, especially during festivities like the Sallah celebration, and to put smiles on their faces.
“We must always remember to reach out to this group of people in our society. We should show them love, especially during festivities like the Sallah celebration. It is very important in the eyes of God,” he added.