LP, Atiku slam Tinubu over comments on poverty in Nigeria

• Labour Party (LP) and former vice president, Atiku Abubakar criticize Tinubu's remarks on poverty, urging him not to trivialize Nigeria's economic challenges
• President Tinubu had remarked that the current economic hardship in the country is not just peculiar to Nigerians
• The LP and Atiku cautioned Tinubu for allegedly exacerbating poverty with his administration's policies, calling for concrete actions

In a sharp rebuke aimed at president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Labour Party (LP) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar have criticized Tinubu for his recent comments regarding poverty in Nigeria.

Specifically, the LP and Atiku told Tinubu not to make mockery of the current situation of Nigerians in the face of economic hardship.

LP, Atiku tackle Tinubu Photo credit: Obiorah Ifoh/Sean Gallup/Kola Sulaimon
Source: UGC

Recall that Tinubu remarked that while acknowledging poverty and hardship within the country, Nigeria is not unique in experiencing such challenges.

Tinubu also warned criminals against acts of vandalism on rail tracks and theft of electric cables, labelling these actions as deliberate sabotage.

President Tinubu made these remarks in Lagos while receiving a delegation from the National Assembly who visited to celebrate Eid-el-Kabir with him on Monday night.

He urged citizens to adopt a new set of values to facilitate progress.

Furthermore, the president emphasized that navigating sound economic policies during challenging times was a primary task for his administration.

Tinubu stated:

"Indeed, there is poverty and suffering in our country. We are not the only nation dealing with these issues, but we must confront our challenges. "It is imperative that we eradicate banditry and terrorism to enable farmers to harvest food from their fields."

Reacting to these statements, Atiku and the Labour Party criticized the president's statement that poverty is not unique to Nigeria.

The duo argued that as a leader elected to combat poverty, he should focus on addressing it rather than appearing to downplay its severity, adding that Tinubu must stop making excuses and take concrete actions to alleviate the multidimensional poverty affecting Nigerians, The Guardian reported.

Stop mocking poor Nigerians, LP tells Tinubu

On his part, Obiora Ifoh, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, expressed his views, stating that the president needs to remember that he was elected to reduce or eliminate poverty, not exacerbate it, Vanguard reported.

Ifoh remarked:

"We are disappointed yet not surprised by President Bola Tinubu's remarks regarding the severe poverty that his administration's policies have unleashed on Nigerians since assuming office over a year ago. "It was disheartening to hear the President seemingly dismiss the plight of his citizens by suggesting that poverty is a common global issue.""Even if we were to accept his statement as accurate, Nigerians experiencing the harsh economic impact of his policies do not need reminders of the suffering and hunger they endure due to decisions made by those in power. "Perhaps this administration needs a reminder that its mandate was to alleviate, if not eradicate, poverty, hunger, and disease. Instead, there appears to be a focus on extravagance."

Atiku speaks

In a similar vein, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, represented by his Special Adviser Paul Ibe, commented:

"There is a saying that a baby goat learns to eat grass by watching its mother. Unfortunately, there are few if any positive values nurtured and promoted by Tinubu and his administration. "What Nigerians witness is insensitivity, bigotry, nepotism, corruption, and wastefulness."

He continued, criticizing the President's statement on addressing banditry and terrorism as an admission of failure.

He said:

"What we need to hear are concrete measures and strategies to tackle these issues, not a recounting of problems that are well-known."

Atiku highlighted the multi-dimensional poverty in Nigeria, attributing it to policies under the Tinubu administration that neglected production and cost-cutting.

He further pointed out the lack of transparency and accountability in Tinubu's government, citing ongoing subsidies contrary to claims that they had been abolished.

President Tinubu travels out of Nigeria again

In another development, president Bola Tinubu departed Lagos for Pretoria, South Africa, in the early hours of Tuesday, June 18, to attend the inauguration of President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Legit.ng reports that the inauguration of Ramaphosa follows his re-election as president for a second term.

Source: Legit.ng