A former Presidential Spokesperson, Dr. Doyin Okupe and a Pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Thursday, traded words over the state of Nigeria’s economy.
While Okupe said there was an observable economic economic turnaround in the country, Afenifere said the president has ruined the economy.
Afenifere specifically castigated the President Bola Tinubu administration for lacking the forethought and insight regarding the handling of public funds, which is now left in ruins.
Afenifere also noted what it described as “the reckless, obstinate and indifferent attitude” of the government to the long-term effects of the lack of forethought or purpose regarding the handling of the public revenue.
The group noted that since the assumption of office by Tinubu in more than a year ago, Nigerians have become worse off than they were before May 29, 2023.
A communiqué issued at the end of the meeting of Afenifere, which took place at Isanya-Ogbo, Ogun State and presided over by its Deputy Leader, Oladipo Olaitan, declared that the country was troubled by pervasive hardship, hunger, insecurity, and massive unemployment.
“Afenifere rued some of the Tinubu administration’s profligate predilection or inclination to waste resources, viz. $100m or N240 billion as purchase price for an Airbus A330 as jet for the president and a further $50m to retrofit it.
“N950m each as purchase price of a new set of armoured Cadillac Escalade Limousine SUVs as befitting vehicles for the President.
N21 billion for renovating a new mansion for the Vice President. N90 billion as subsidy for religious pilgrimage. N10 billion to renovate the Presidential Lodge at Ribadu Road, Lagos, etc,” it noted.
Okupe, however, said the present economic indicators showed that the nation’s economy was beginning to make a recovery and an obvious turnaround was now clearly observable.
He said Afenifere spoke well about the current socio-economic challenges, but its response was belated.
“It is commendable that Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation and now political group, has always lived to its nationalistic stance.
“This it does by criticising the government of the day even though a Yoruba man, Asiwaju Tinubu, is the current President of the country.
“This is one of the outstanding and commendable attributes of the Yoruba people as a race and Afenifere has been consistent in this patriotic display of true nationalism.
“However, while it is true that the country and its citizens are undergoing very harsh socio-economic conditions, principally because of strong and brave economic policies put in place to correct the economic quagmire brought on the country by the previous administration’s economic indicators show that the economy is beginning to make a recovery and an obvious turn around is now clearly observable,” Okupe said.
Chuks Okocha
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