Atiku, Kwankwaso, others knock Tinubu over continued borrowing

Monday’s media chat by President Bola Tinubu has come under strong criticism from 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, and his New Nigeria Peoples Party counterpart, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, among other members of the opposition.

In their reactions on Tuesday, Atiku and Kwankwaso particularly flayed the President for announcing  plans to continue borrowing loans to execute infrastructural projects as well as his ‘no going back on fuel subsidy removal’ statement.

Speaking through his media adviser, Paul Ibe, on Tuesday, former Vice President Atiku criticised the All Progressives Congress-led government for “borrowing without purpose.”

He stated, “Which financial discipline have you seen? Nothing has changed ever since he became President. It is just the same Tinubu that we know. The economy and security are not better. They are being reckless with the nation’s resources.

“All he claims he’s doing is not visible to Nigerians. This Christmas is going to be the hardest for most Nigerians due to the economic hardship and hunger in the land. If he says he’s borrowing to improve infrastructure, where are they? You can’t borrow to pay salaries but specific purposes and targeted projects.

“Tinubu has failed to demonstrate that over time. The government has been borrowing and imposing taxes on ordinary Nigerians, who are suffering. They are borrowing for no reason. He hasn’t done enough as expected of him to reposition the country.”

In the same vein, Kwankwaso, through his party’s National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, stated, “We believe that the budget sent to the National Assembly about a week ago shows that this administration has failed to acknowledge the pains and sufferings of Nigerians. They do not seem to comprehend the gravity of the situation we are in at the moment.

“From that budget, you can still see the loans and see the vehicles being acquired. Some of these things are not necessities. So, this government has to show seriousness in cutting costs.

“You cannot keep telling Nigerians to tighten their belts while you are not tightening yours. The legislators are not tightening theirs. It’s not fair to the people of Nigeria. It isn’t.”

In a similar vein, major opposition parties in the country expressed disappointment at the media chat.

The National Legal Adviser of the Labour Party, Kehinde Edun, condemned Tinubu’s plan to secure additional loans for infrastructure as a faux pas.

Edun further described the President’s refusal to cut down on his bloated cabinet as “bravado”, saying he would be forced to do so at the appropriate time.

He said, “As to retaining his cabinet, the man may not want to cause unnecessary panic. I don’t think he will retain all of the ministers. The man is still going to make changes. On not going back on fuel subsidy removal, the man is just using bravado. He believes that we are already neck deep hence the need to continue.

“The truth is that the thing has brought so much misery and it is glaring for everybody to see. All he is doing now is bravado. There is so much misery on the land. Again, people are right in blaming hunger and misery for the tragic food stampedes. On his decision to continue borrowing for infrastructure, it should be condemned.

“They have borrowed so much and we are still not out of the wood yet. This idea of securing loans started a long time ago. Buhari kept on borrowing, and throughout his tenure, nothing changed. Our roads and light are getting worse; there is no infrastructure improvement.”

The Coalition of United Political Parties equally frowned at the continued borrowing, saying Nigerians are aware that the APC administration lacked financial discipline.

Speaking with The PUNCH, the National Publicity Secretary of CUPP, Mark Adebayo, said, “Of course, every Nigerian knows there is no sign of financial discipline anywhere in this government. If there were, the President would not remove almost N200bn to buy a presidential jet. The President would not spend huge amounts of money to buy a single car for the presidential convoy.

“If there were financial discipline, nothing like that would happen. In a nation where the President reflects on the economic woes of the country, he would not even consider that. There are Presidents, heads of state, and governments in even more advanced economies of the world that don’t have presidential jets, who travel on commercial flights and the like.

“So, from the perspective of the CUPP, there is no financial discipline reflected in the current downturn of Nigeria’s economy. The President is not telling the truth.”

In its reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party stated that Tinubu’s media chat showed the All Progressives Congress’s insensitivity and disconnection from the Nigerian people.

In a statement on Tuesday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, expressed concern that the APC failed to explain the savings from the removal of subsidies while Nigerians were enduring severe economic hardship.

“The Peoples Democratic Party asserts that Monday’s presidential media chat further confirms the All Progressives Congress administration’s insensitivity to the current widespread hardship and suffering being faced by Nigerians resulting from the ill-implemented and anti-people policies of the APC.

“The declaration by President Tinubu that he has no regrets for the sudden removal of fuel subsidy without any cushioning measures to mitigate the resultant crippling effect on the productive sector, high cost of living and associated hardship, which is now driving citizens to extreme poverty and early death, also confirms APC’s disconnection from the primary purpose of government, which is the welfare and security of the citizens.

“It is instructive that President Tinubu, in the chat, admitted that Nigerians were bearing the brunt of the failure and inability of the APC administration under his watch to effectively police and secure our nation’s borders to prevent the smuggling of petroleum products to neighbouring countries.

“The PDP is disturbed that while the APC has failed to account for the proceeds saved from the removal of subsidy, Nigerians are subjected to crushing economic hardship because the APC administration has failed in its fundamental duty of ensuring the territorial integrity of our nation,” the statement read.

Tough Christmas

As Nigerians celebrate Christmas, the PDP, CUPP, and the Young Progressives Party claimed that the citizens were in for their toughest Christmas ever.

PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, held that the Tinubu government, rather than focus on policies that would improve the well-being of Nigerians, has instead made life more difficult for the people.

“There is widespread hunger and frustration across the country, compounded by growing insecurity. Nigerians are enduring severe hardship, while the administration seems solely concerned with enriching itself, rather than addressing the needs of the people.

“Currently, millions of Nigerians are struggling to afford necessities. The cost of food and transportation has reached unprecedented levels. As a result, this Christmas will be an especially difficult time for many households, as they face the compounded challenges of economic hardship and insecurity,” Osadolor said.

On his part, the NNPP National Publicity Secretary, Ladipo Johnson, tasked the Tinubu administration to reconsider some of its policies.

He stated, “We have seen the state of the economy and insecurity in the country. People have made their concerns known. We have witnessed the unfortunate incidents of people queuing up for food in various parts of the country. These are not good signs.

“We’ve seen inflation at 34 per cent, with food inflation probably higher. We’ve seen the value of the naira continue to drop. The standard of living has decreased, and the cost of living has risen for the average person. It’s been tough, it’s hard, it’s difficult. So, this Christmas will be hard for most homes.

“But we pray that as we move forward, things will turn around. We hope that next year will be a better, more prosperous year for Nigeria. To achieve this, the APC administration must review its policies.”

Also speaking, the CUPP National Publicity Secretary, Mark Adebayo, criticised President Tinubu for failing to address the suffering of Nigerians.

He said, “Nigerians will celebrate Christmas amid hunger, rising costs of food, and transportation. Well, Tinubu actually isn’t addressing the economic challenges being faced by Nigerians, with regard to either the rising costs of food, transportation costs, airfares, or anything.

“He is not the President who behaves as if he is concerned about the pains inflicted on the people by his atrocious economic policies. He is not behaving as if he is concerned, and he is not behaving as if he cares at all about the socio-economic challenges being faced by Nigerians.

“They are dismissive. The President doesn’t have any robust policies to tackle the socio-economic challenges that his party and his administration have brought upon this country.”