By Mary Adepoju
The leadership of the Labour Party has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration for allegedly squandering N4.3 trillion on loans and palliatives, purportedly to mitigate the effects of the removal of fuel subsidies and other economic policies, claiming that these actions have no direct bearing on the lives of the general public.
On the other hand, the ruling All Progressives Congress disagreed, saying it would be unreasonable to conclude that the palliatives did not reach the intended disadvantaged population unless the opposition had solid data.
In two different interviews with our correspondent, Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the LP, and Nze Chidi Duru, the Deputy National Organising Secretary of the APC, voiced their opposing viewpoints. Following President Bola Tinubu’s elimination of the fuel subsidy and the ensuing economic hardship, the Federal Government implemented a number of palliative measures, including the distribution of food, cash, transport fare rebates, and the purchase of gas-powered buses.
The President specifically announced the government’s first sets of palliatives during a national broadcast on July 31. These included N100 billion for the purchase of 3,000 20-seater CNG-fueled buses, N200 billion to increase agricultural production, N75 billion for manufacturers, and N125 billion for micro, small, and medium-sized businesses as well as the unorganised sector.
He claimed that the action would lessen the suffering that Nigerians were going through as a result of the elimination of fuel subsidies. But the spokesman for the Labour Party informed our correspondent that the palliative care had been a mirage and has not impacted Nigerians “This government frequently throws figures around,” Ifoh remarked.
Has it reached the lowest levels of society? That is the query. The inflation index, which was just released by the Statistician-General, indicates that inflation is steadily rising. In Nigeria, the rate of food inflation exceeds forty percent. When I refer to “food inflation,” I mean the staple foods that the average Nigerian relies on, such garri, rice, beans, and other grains. All of them are still rising.
I’m not sure where they used their money, then. For example, as a Nigerian residing in this nation, could you verify if any members of your family were given palliative care beyond the N4.3 trillion budget? Even whether all of these statistics are always intended is unknown.I’m not even sure if all these numbers are supposed to show up on newspaper pages.
I still haven’t seen anyone in Nigeria who made use of that money. I can assure you that not even in my village has anyone seen a cent. So where did they put the cash to use? That’s the problem. “A few days ago, I came across a report from their NEC economic conference stating that states will receive millions of naira to help alleviate the impact of the suffering. Wasn’t that what they had told us over a year prior? However, nothing has been seen by us. In actuality, we are not at all criticising this administration. All we’re asking of this government is action.
According to the LP spokesman, Nigerians were having problems, and the N62,000 minimum pay that was being suggested for employees was egregiously low. “At this point, they are still hesitating on the minimum wage and they are saying N62,000,” the speaker stated. I performed an analysis a few days ago. A loaf of bread that sells for roughly N1,600 to 1,800 is consumed by the average family. You would have spent around N50,000 on bread alone if you multiplied that N1,600 or N1,800 by the number of days in a month. So, we believe that in this government, they ought to have a human face.
In this type of economy, they are preparing to purchase new presidential planes for the president and vice president. We are stating that this is not an urgent matter. The Lagos-Calabar Coastal Road, or whatever they name it, caused the entire country to yell and cry. However, they disregarded everyone and began funding that initiative.
They just don’t have it together, and it’s a misguided priority. “The minimum wage issue hasn’t been resolved as of yet. Given the current course, another implosion is probably imminent, and no one can predict when it will clear.
Therefore, in order for Nigeria to continue being a peaceful and joyful country for all Nigerians, we are pleading with this government to wake up and act morally.However, Duru, the APC’s deputy national organising secretary, claimed that the LP was only using its constitutional right to oppose. “It is the point I always make that democracy envisages opposition,” he stated. “For me, it is always important.”
The basic goal of opposition is to keep the ruling party on their toes by drawing attention to and pointing out areas where they believe there is room for improvement. This is one of them, and it will enable us to go back and take another look to determine whether or not these palliatives actually reached the intended recipients.
In the event that this was not the case, we will revisit and conduct a review to make sure the economy is not being wasted.