May 29: Last one year most challenging in Nigeria’s history – PDP

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), after a thorough review of the state of affairs of the nation in the last one year under the current All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, has described the period as the most challenging in Nigeria’s history since the Civil War.
The said this in a statement on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba in Abuja.
The PDP insisted that the current rising insecurity, excruciating poverty, economic hardship and general despondency in the country, necessitating the fleeing of thousands of Nigerians especially the youths from our nation, further confirmed that “there is no hope in sight with the APC on the saddle”.
According to the leading opposition party, “It is apparent that inflicting pains and misery on Nigerians remains the policy thrust of successive APC administrations which became heightened by the not well thought-out twin anti-people policies of removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the Naira without due consideration for the citizens’ welfare and security.
“As if these were not enough, the APC administration continues in its anti-people policies in the arbitrary hike in electricity tariff and imposition of multiple taxes on the already impoverished Nigerians with no corresponding tangible development directed towards the welfare of the people.
“The consequences of these ill-thought and ill-implemented policies without any cushioning measures to mitigate the resultant rising cost and associated hardship on the masses have driven many into early death and extreme poverty.
“The APC’s continuing use of poverty as a weapon of mass destruction is responsible for the wide spread despondency in the country where people are only preoccupied with survival rather than show interest in the government policies and activities which largely alienate them.
“It is shocking that while the Federal Government announced the removal of fuel subsidy forcing Nigerians to pay more for fuel, trillions of naira is still being reportedly paid as fuel subsidy allegedly into private bank accounts associated with corrupt APC leaders.
“Sadly, the APC in its insensitivity and disregard for the people has not bordered to render an account to Nigerians with respect to the expected savings accruable to the Federation Account as a result of the announced fuel subsidy removal.
“Instead of addressing the grave economic challenges facing our nation, the APC administration continues to wreck our productive sectors with its ill-advised policies which have resulted in the exit of multinational giants including GlaxoSmithKline, Procter and Gamble, Microsoft among others and massive divestment by major oil and gas companies from our country in the last one year. “