Buhari has lost touch with Nigeria’s economic realities, there’s hunger in the land – Fayose
*His aides are not truthful to him –Sen Gyunka
Ekiti state governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s latest comment that he was pleased with Nigeria’s economic situation as another pointer to the fact that the president has lost touch with the economic realities in the country, saying; “It is strange that a President will say that he is pleased with sufferings being experienced by his people.”
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said it was obvious that President Buhari’s close to three months stay in London had taken his mind off the reality of the economic crises being witnessed in the country.
Governor Fayose, who said economic growth of a nation can only be measured by the welfare of the people, asked; “How can a President who has spent more time abroad than he spent in Nigeria be telling Nigerians that he is satisfied with the sufferings of the people? It is like the President endorsing the sufferings of Nigerians and this is painful,” he said.
“That President Buhari, who met exchange rate at N197 to $1 said that he is pleased with the economy when exchange rate is now N370 to $1 is a clear indication that the government is being ran on his behalf.
“The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its unemployment report for the fourth quarter (Q4) 2016 said 3.67 million Nigerians became jobless in one year and that the number of unemployed Nigerians rose from 7.51 million at the beginning of October 2015 to 11.19 million at the end of September 2016.
“The same NBS, said in its June 2015 to May 2016 National Corruption Report, that over N400 billion was paid as bribes to public officials in Nigeria in one year (June 2015 to May 2016). Yet, they will tell Nigerians that they are fighting corruption when indeed, corruption is thriving under the All Progressives Congress (APC) government of President Buhari.
“As at May 29, 2015 that Buhari became President, bag of rice was less than N8,000, a bag of rice is about N18,000 now, more than 25 states cannot pay workers salary regularly owing to dwindled revenue from the federation account, and someone is telling Nigerians that the economy is doing well? It is clear that the President has lost touch with real economic situation of the country,” Governor Fayose said further.
While insisting that the President was not telling Nigerians the truth on the economic situation of the country, Governor Fayose said, “Even a two year old child knows that there is hunger in the land, Nigerians are hungry, they are suffering and telling them that all is well is like adding salt to their injury.”
Meanwhile, President Buhari has been advised to personally look inward to understand the true state of Nigeria’seconomy rather than relying solely on the reports of his assistants.
Senator Philip Arua Gyunka (Nasarawa North) gave the advice to the president on Wednesday during a chat with Daily Times correspondent. The Senator was reacting to a statement credited to President Buhari that Nigeria’s economy is in good shape.
Buhari’s comment on the state of the country’s economy in the midst of hardship has since been generating reactions from different quarters and has been widely contested as not speaking to the realities on ground.
Senator Gyunka regretted that the President’s aides are not telling him the truth as regards the state of the nation’s economy.
Noting that Buhari’s recent pronouncements on the country’s economy contradicts the actual fact, Gyunka said that Nigerians are going through unprecedented hardships.
Citing the rate of unemployment, high cost of products in the market including food items, and the high cost of living which constributes to tensions rising across the country, the senator urged the president to look inward and personally ascertain the true state of the economy rather than relying on his aides who he said are being economical with the truth.
“Look at the things happening around us now, they talked about bringing the dollar to a Naira, they talked about bringing down the cost of living, they talked about several things but you can see the situation is now.”
Although Gyunka expressed optimism that the economy will gradually pick up, “the president needs sit up,” he insisted.
He stressed the need for the president to lean on the experience of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to get the economy back on track.
“PDP has ample of experience, we have come a very long way and the president needs our experience. PDP is willing to help him build this nation because it belongs to all of us, but that doesn’t mean we are taking over from this Government,” he said.
The senator however also stated that bringing the economy back to sound footing will also require Nigerian entrepreneurs to invest massively in the country alongside foreign investors.
“This country has all it takes to grow a any investment, Nigeria is endowed with a lot of natural resources, so we really need to look inward.”
The lawmaker who also urged Buhari’sadministration not to dread oppositions and criticisms, also frowned at the fight against corruption as he said that the strategy adopted by the administration leaves much to be desired.
According to him, “the president has done a lot humanly, but it is below average. There are a lot of people who have been left untouched because they are are in APC.
When you are sincere in fighting corruption there mustn’t be sacred cows. For me presently it has been a selective fight against corruption so far,” he observed.
Gyunka also advised the President to identify the problem of agitators stressing that once such problems are identified the problems would be half solved.
He also advocated that the principles of federal character should be put into full implementation. ” Although it is not fully a solution to the problem, it is another way to go. Let us sit down and see what we can do, but let the government do the needful.”
Gbenga Sodeinde, Ado Ekiti & Chris Emetoh, Abuja
