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Fayose Launches Fresh Attack on Buhari Over Comments On Nigerian Economy

Published

7 years ago

August 30, 2017

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has described President Muhammadu Buhari’s latest comment that he was pleased with Nigeria’s economic situation as another pointer to the fact that he has lost touch with the economic realities in the country, Punch reports.

The governor said it was strange that the president could say he was pleased with sufferings being experienced by his people.

Fayose, in a statement issued on Wednesday, by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said it was obvious that the president’s close to three months stay in London had taken his mind off the reality of the economic crises being witnessed in the country.

The governor maintained that the economic growth of a nation could only be measured by the welfare of the people.

“It is like the President endorsing the sufferings of Nigerians and this is painful.

“That President Buhari, who met exchange rate at N197 to $1 said that he is pleased with the economy when exchange rate is now N370 to $1 is a clear indication that the government is being run on his behalf.

“The National Bureau of Statistics, in its unemployment report for the fourth quarter (Q4) 2016 said 3.67 million Nigerians became jobless in one year and that the number of unemployed Nigerians rose from 7.51 million at the beginning of October 2015 to 11.19 million at the end of September 2016.

“The same NBS, said in its June 2015 to May 2016 National Corruption Report, that over N400bn was paid as bribes to public officials in Nigeria in one year (June 2015 – May 2016). Yet, they will tell Nigerians that they are fighting corruption when indeed, corruption is thriving under the All Progressives Congress government of President Buhari.

“As at May 29, 2015 that Buhari became President, bag of rice was less than N8,000, a bag of rice is about N18,000 now, more than 25 states cannot pay workers salary regularly owing to dwindled revenue from the federation account, and someone is telling Nigerians that the economy is doing well? It is clear that the President has lost touch with real economic situation of the country.”

While insisting that the President was not telling Nigerians the truth on the economic situation of the country, Fayose said even a two year old child knew that there was hunger in the land.

“Nigerians are hungry, they are suffering and telling them that all is well is like adding salt to their injury,” he added.