The All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government and the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were involved in counter-accusations over the worsening economic hardship in the country.
While the Federal Government has alleged that the PDP Governor in the country are contributing to Nigeria’s economic hardship, the PDP said Tinubu’s govt has no capacity to address the economic hardship and insecurity in Nigeria.
Accusing the PDP governors, the Federal Government said that many of the PDP governors have failed to fulfil their obligations to their citizens in the payment of workers’ salaries and pensioners’ gratuities.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement on Tuesday February 13, 2024, said that the PDP Governors have also failed to take concrete steps to increase food production in their states and address the rising costs of living.
The minister stated that the Federal Government is not averse to constructive criticism.
Idris, however, stated that the PDP governors missed the point by comparing Nigeria’s economy to that of Venezuela.
The PDP Governors had on Monday in Bauchi State lampooned the Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government for failing to address the economic and security challenges in the country.
Idris said: “It is on record that most states controlled by PDP owe workers and pensioners months of unpaid salary and pension arrears. The PDP Governors have defaulted in paying gratuities to their retired workers.
"It is also a fact that many of the PDP Governors have not paid N30,000 minimum wage to their workers since it took effect more than four years ago. All of these anomalies in their states contribute significantly to the economic pressure their citizens face.
“If PDP governors are genuinely interested in the living conditions of Nigerians and are not just stirring up disaffection and ill-will towards the federal government, we urge them to meet their obligations to workers, pensioners, and local contractors and see the multiplier effect.
“It is disappointing that PDP Governors talk about rising costs of living and food when they have not done much to increase food production in their states. The land in Nigeria belongs to the states, not the Federal Government.
“PDP Governors, in their communique yesterday, did not tell Nigerians how they are supporting farmers in their states to boost food production – a responsibility that is strictly within their purview. Instead, they shift all the blame to the Federal Government, while shirking their own responsibilities to the people they govern.”
The minister stated that as members of two important constitutional organs of government – the National Economic Council and the National Council of States – the PDP governors failed to conduct themselves in a manner befitting their roles as leaders.
Idris said: “It is far-fetched when PDP governors, who are supposed to be major players in driving economic growth and prosperity for our citizens in their respective states, mischievously and falsely compare our current economic challenges to Venezuela.
“We want to state categorically that though our country is going through some rough patches, which are being addressed by the administration of President Bola Tinubu, our situation is nowhere near what is happening in Venezuela.
“The Nigerian economy is still very strong and is expected to record a 3% GDP growth this year. The economy is meeting financial obligations to lenders at home and abroad.”
The minister stated that the Nigerian government is running effectively, paying all its bills while maintaining a healthy trade balance with trading partners worldwide.
The Tinubu-led government berated the PDP governors for misinforming Nigerians.
According to Idris, “While opposition politicians are expected to play politics, it should be done within the bounds of truth and fidelity to facts. It is unconscionable of PDP Governors to manipulate facts and misinform Nigerians about our country’s true state of affairs.
“Since President Tinubu assumed office, the revenue available to the three tiers of government has more than doubled. All 36 States, including the 774 Local Governments, have been receiving significantly larger allocations on the back of the reforms being pursued by President Tinubu to reposition our national economy.
“Nigerians should ask PDP Governors how far and how well they have utilised the increased revenue to better the lives of Nigerians in their respective states.”
In a communique read by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, the PDP governors declared that Nigeria’s economy is going the way of Venezuela’s.
Venezuela’s economy has been in total collapse since 2013 with a debt burden of over $150 billion and 100% inflation.
The PDP Governors decrying the economic hardship and insecurity in the country, described the situation as unbearable.
The PDP said the “catastrophic” economic and security situation in the country has left Nigerians hopeless, stressing that President Bola Tinubu’s administration has no concrete and coherent measures to address the various challenges bewildering the nation.
The party said this in a communique issued at the end of its Board of Trustees (BoT) meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, February 13, 2024.
The PDP condemned what it described as the biting economic hardship, high cost of essential life-enhancing commodities, and alarming food scarcity in the country, which the party said were occasioned by the “ill-implemented policies of the APC administration and which are already causing restiveness and agitations in various parts of the country.”
It further described the depreciation of the naira to the dollar at over N1,500 as abysmal.
The party stated: “The BoT is disturbed that the catastrophic economic and security situation in the country have left Nigerians hopeless, despondent, angry and constitute a present and immediate threat to the survival of the country as hardworking young Nigerians, professionals in critical fields as well as major multinational companies are now leaving our nation in droves.
“The BoT is distressed that there are no concrete and coherent policies, measures, and steps by the APC administration to address these existential threats which have put the country in a precarious situation.
“The BoT calls on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to know that the situation in the country has become unbearable. Mr. President should immediately address the issues of corruption in his administration, worsening insecurity in the country, continuous fall in the value of the naira, high fuel price, unbearable food scarcity, and unemployment in the country.
“The BoT is alarmed by the worsening insecurity in the country as evident in the rising cases of mass killings, banditry, kidnap for ransom, and acts of terrorism by assailants who are emboldened by the manifest laidback attitude of the APC administration to issues of security, especially in the last nine months.
“The BoT is appalled by the monumental corruption and unbridled treasury-looting in the APC administration especially the looting of billions of Naira meant for palliatives for poor and vulnerable Nigerians.”
The PDP added that it remains united, stronger, and more determined in its commitment to working for the well-being of Nigerians and defending their interest at all times.
The party noted that in the bid to further strengthen itself, the BoT has confirmed Senator Adolphus Wabara as its Chairman and Sen. Ahmed Mohammed Makarfi as Secretary in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the PDP (as amended in 2017).