Nigerians Cannot Eat Economic Growth Figures, Atiku Hits Tinubu
By Molayo Anjorin
The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress and former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s Independence Day address where he says Nigeria is on the path of prosperity.
Atiku while delivering his Independence Day’s address on Thursday at ADC National Secretariat said Nigerians cannot eat economic growth figures released by the President.
He said the past three years of the Tinubu administration had plunged Nigerians into what he described as the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis, with families struggling to afford food, healthcare, transportation and other basic necessities.
Recall that Tinubu in his nationwide broadcast addressing said that after three and a half years in office, there was undeniable evidence that Nigeria’s economic outlook had improved.
The President said: “Our economy has grown by over four per cent this year. Both the oil and non-oil sectors have contributed to this renewed period of stable growth.
“My fellow Nigerians, we have reached a turning point. The emergency treatment is over. The foundation has been repaired. The central economic task before us has changed. For three years, our overriding purpose was to correct our nation’s course. Now, our purpose is simple: shared and widespread prosperity.”
Atiku also faulted the government’s handling of fuel subsidy removal, taxation and other economic reforms, arguing that their impact had further increased the burden on households and businesses.
According to him, And beyond the market, our nation is bleeding. Armed groups have killed thousands and driven families from their communities. Farmers fear their fields. Parents fear for children in their classrooms. Families dread the call demanding ransom for someone they love.
“A government that cannot make life affordable and cannot protect life has failed the two tests that matter most to its people. This is not the Nigeria our founders struggled to set free. But I will not ask you to surrender to despair. Despair is not a strategy. We have a path to recovery, and we must take it.” Atiku queried
“Bola, where is this prosperity? Bola says inflation has fallen. A slower rise in prices does not restore what families have lost. He cites growth and rising exports. Nigerian businesses deserve credit for what they have achieved. But growth must improve lives. It cannot be a certificate of success that the government awards itself while citizens struggle to survive.’
ADC Presidential Candidate vowed to prioritise affordability and the protection of lives, with measures to reduce the cost of food, fuel and electricity, improve access to healthcare and education and restore security, when elected.