Buhari’s food importation ban policy ill-timed, anti-people, says PDP

.Insists Buhari Presidency, APC out to punish Nigerians

.Forex restriction favourable to MSMEs – Association

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to stifle food importation in the country as mean, ill-timed and completely against the wellbeing of Nigerians.

The PDP stated that the directive will worsen food scarcity, exacerbate the already harsh economic situation and the general depression, frustration, resentment and despair in the country under President Buhari’s watch.

The party in a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan, on Thursday, said the policy will aggravate the present harsh economic conditions of majority Nigerians.

It said that “it is indeed, appalling that instead of bringing solutions to the depreciating living conditions in our nation, President Buhari is rather imposing more suffering by ordering the removal of subsidy on food even when it is manifestly clear that he had failed on all fronts to achieve any level of food security despite the huge resources available to his administration.”

The party said by the directive, the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have again demonstrated their insensitivity towards millions of Nigerians who are already suffering acute hunger and starvation due to severe food shortage and high prices brought by President Buhari’s misrule.

“The PDP states strongly that Nigerians do not, in any way, deserve such suffering being foisted on them by such directive on food.

“Such situation will only breed further despondency among our citizens, heighten our security challenges and put more pressure on compatriots, many of who, in the face of suffering occasioned by APC misrule, are resorting to suicide and slavery mission as options.

“Instead of removing subsidy on food and putting more suffering on Nigerians, the PDP urges President Buhari to cut the billions of naira being wasted on luxuries in his Presidency and free the funds for the welfare of the masses,” stated the party.

Furthermore, the PDP urged President Buhari to recover the over N14 trillion allegedly siphoned by APC interests under Buhari’s administration, including the stolen N9 trillion detailed in the leaked NNPC memo and channel the resources towards food security for Nigerians.

The PDP stated that it is a complete disservice to Nigerians for the government to place restrictive directives on food for the masses, while interests condoned by the same administration are frittering our common patrimony.

“The PDP wants to believe that while Mr. President enjoys the comfort, luxury, sufficiency and safety of the government house, he is barely aware of the sufferings of Nigerians.

“Our party therefore charges President Buhari to immediately rescind his directive before it inflicts more damage on the polity,” the party added.

But, the Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME) said that the Federal Government’s decision on foreign exchange restriction on food import is favourable to both the association and manufacturers in Nigeria.

Chairman, Lagos State chapter of NASME, Solomon Aderoju, made the assertion on Thursday in Lagos.

Aderoju spoke while addressing journalists ahead of the association’s forthcoming third edition of business roundtable scheduled to hold on August 29 in Lagos.

He said that the forex restriction would assist the Federal Government to conserve the nation’s foreign exchange, and as well help to strengthen the value of the already weakened naira.

The chairman lauded the Federal Government for the huge decision, saying that its effective implementation would boost Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) growth and create more employment opportunities.

Also, NASME’s National Vice President, South-West, Oladipo Jemi-Alade, said that the government’s directive is an opportunity for MSMEs and manufacturers to explore benefits of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA).

“The roundtable is apt now that AfCFTA is open to us; we have to be prepared for the next level. We want to be in a position to compete favourably with our foreign counterparts.

“For this reason, we are upgrading our skills, and have embarked on membership training nationwide to build skills and capacity,” he said.