Tinubu’s Govt Impoverishing Nigerians on Alarming Scale, Says Lukman, Ex-APC Chief
Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
A former National Vice Chairman North-west of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Salihu Lukman, has lamented that the administration of President Bola Tinubu was impoverishing Nigerians on an alarming scale.
Lukman, in a statement titled: “Nigerian Democracy in ICU”, said Nigerians were faced with the very unfortunate situation whereby an elected government is taking all the wrong decisions, while all democratic structures that could facilitate consultations, enforce accountability, regulate the conducts of elected leaders were being systematically demobilised and demolished.
He said, “More than anytime in the history of Nigeria, citizens are being impoverished on an alarming scale. Since May 29, 2023 when President took over, it has been a downward slide for Nigerians.
“Being a democratic government, the expectation would have been that President Tinubu will be more accessible. Alas, he is proving to be the most inaccessible leader of Nigeria. Even late General Sani Abacha was by far more accessible.
“All previous military governments are turning out to be much more open to consultations and receptive to recommendations from Nigerians than the government of President Tinubu.”
Lukman noted that part of the disturbing reality highlighting the mismanagement of public policy in Nigeria was the dispute between Dangote Refinery and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and how citizens were being pushed to swallow bitter pills of higher prices of petroleum products in a manner that simply devalue local production.
He decried that the econometrics of petroleum pricing since the commencement of production of Dangote Refinery was more about manipulative control and imposition of a parasitic monopoly, which the NNPC represents.
“Unfortunately, for whatever reasons, that appears to be the preference of the government. As it is, the issue of the welfare of citizens is not the priority of President Asiwaju Tinubu.”
