A Chieftain of the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, Olusegun
Bamgbose, has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s declaration of lifting 100
million Nigerians out of poverty as pure fallacy, unrealistic and tantamount to
giving false hope to the people.
Recall that Buhari, in his recent address, at the retreat
for Ministers, Permanent Secretaries and other top government officials,
informed Nigerians of his administration’s readiness to lift 100 million
citizens out of poverty in the next 10 years.
“This is pure fallacy. It’s basically unrealistic. It’s tantamount
to giving Nigerians false hope,” the senior lawyer said in a chat with Dailypost on Friday.
“One of his Ministers once told us that about 90 million
Nigerians are living in poverty, how come the President tells us now that he
will lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty?
“How did he get the additional 10 million Nigerians?” He
wondered.
Bamgbose said that this was an indication that the statement
lacked merit but was just politically motivated to deceive innocent Nigerians
and give them false hope of a better future, when there is absolutely no
concrete plan to achieve it.
He wondered how many Nigerians the administration can boast
of lifting out of poverty in the last five years, while cautioning the
President to desist from giving Nigerians false hope.
“Nigerians can’t be fooled any longer. In the same retreat,
the President urged his Ministers to blow their trumpets, that they have
achieved much,” he added.
“This is laughable, because there is no trumpet to blow,
except that of hardship, poverty and sufferings. Poor masses are in pains as a
result of the hike in electricity tariffs and fuel pump price.
“Poverty is on the increase. Unemployment is yet to be decisively tackled, insecurity everywhere. Which trumpet will the Ministers blow?
“The most appropriate thing for him to do is to sack them,
it’s overdue. The statement credited to President Buhari at the retreat, ‘I
have to charge all of you to defend the government vigorously and not to allow
any IRRESPONSIBLE and politically motivated statements….’
“To say the least, this statement is unpresidential. The
President calling critics, irresponsible, is unjustifiable.
“Critics deserve apology for this. In May 2013, Buhari asked
Jonathan to resign and give way to a competent hand to govern the country.
“In 2012, Buhari was quoted to have said, ‘the dog and
baboon would all be soaked in blood’ if the election was rigged.
“He expressed himself freely without anyone calling him
irresponsible, why then should he now refer to his critics as irresponsible.
“This is not justifiable on any ground. He has to apologize
to the critics. President Buhari should be informed that he is democratically
elected as President of Nigeria and he swore to defend the constitution.
“The constitution guarantees freedom of speech and
expression. This is never a military regime. Nigerians should be free to
express themselves without any fear of molestation and harassment whatsoever. I
call on the President to be cautious in addressing his fellow citizens,” he
stated.
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This is the pitiable conditio we subtly find ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI like Benue youth during 2019 election counting.
Any time APC was mentioned "NEXT LEVEL OF POVERTY" was being echoed.
This is the reality of life, we are seeing now.