According to him, the show of opulence and humongous money expended on projects such as the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima’s lodge and the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway are insensitive to the average Nigerian.
The Labour Party’s leadership expressed disappointment on Tuesday over President Bola Tinubu’s repeated requests for patience from Nigerians, using the standard justification of inheriting an almost completely paralyzed economy.
But the opposition party said it was not surprised, pointing out that any government that has “unleashed excruciating poverty” on the populace for more than a year will always find a myriad of ways to justify its shortcomings.
Obiora Ifoh, the LP’s national publicity secretary, said this in a statement released in Abuja on Tuesday.
Ifoh stated that they were demoralized by the government’s inability to even take a moment to reflect on the hardships that Nigerians have endured over the last year under the current administration.
According to him, the show of opulence and humongous money expended on projects such as the Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima’s lodge and the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway are insensitive to the average Nigerian.
He said, “It was, to say the least, disheartening to hear Mr. President mock his fellow citizens by saying Nigerians are not the only ones facing poverty. Assuming but not conceding that what he said is true, Nigerians who are at the receiving end of his harsh economic policies don’t need to be reminded about the pain and hunger they have been forced to live with by the very people who put them in that situation in the first place.
“Maybe this administration needs to be reminded that it was elected to reduce if not eliminate poverty, hunger and disease. But what we have seen is an obsession with opulence. We are yet to get over the billions appropriated for the renovation of the President and Vice President’s lodges, now we hear they want new jets to join the Presidential fleet.
“Our schools and health institutions are on their knees, the same government claims it cannot afford to pay public servants a living wage but has enough to make itself comfortable at the expense of the suffering masses.”
He added, “Mr. President, we implore you to uphold the constitution you swore to protect. The constitution says the security and welfare of the populace shall be the primary purpose of the existence of your government. Enough is this mockery.”