By Akinwale Kasali

Phrank Shaibu, Special Assistant on Public Communications to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has faulted what he called the shambolic policies of President Bola  Tinubu. According to him, it has plunged the nation’s economy into this deplorable state.

Shaibu said if hunger doesn’t reduce Nigeria’s population, President Bola Tinubu’s “shambolic policies” will.

He said that the fallout of the shambolic policies of President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress, APC, administration, and Federal Government are killing Nigerians even as there are no efforts to stem the tide.

Shaibu said, “The unprecedented hunger, poverty, and hardship in Nigeria are part of Tinubu’s ultimate plan to decimate Nigerians and pauperise them until they have no shred of dignity left.

“Tinubu is like a quack doctor trying to treat a cancerous patient. But the quack doctor is likely to kill the patient even faster than the cancer itself. This is the dire situation that Nigerians have found themselves in.

“Rather than get to work, he continues to blame his predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari, for handing him an empty treasury and a weak economy and the opposition for instigating mass protests. He talks as if Buhari was not a member of their diseased All Progressives Congress. He also forgets that his own kabukabu policies and its fallouts are what is instigating the mass protests across the country.”

The Atiku aide further noted that on Tinubu’s watch, poverty has reached an all-time high, with food inflation at 33%. He noted that the resulting effect would be a drop in unemployment, a rise in suicide levels, an increase in crime as well as a spike in the number of out-of-school children.

According to him, operators in the private sector of the economy continue to complain about how the Tinubu administration has led them into uncertain times, resulting in about 10 million small and micro businesses being closed.

He further stated that the free fall in the exchange rate and haphazard nature of government policies under Tinubu’s administration have made a rubbish of projections made by businesses during the last quarter of 2023.

He noted that in the past, garri and beans were considered food for the poor but even today, the poor cannot afford to buy beans which now costs N1,500 per mudu and with no prospects of a stop in the rising prices. SMA baby formula now costs N8,000 from N2,200.

He said, “Just over a year ago, a 50kg bag of rice was N47,000, but today it is N77,000. Beans used to be N36,000, but now it is N42,000. Bread was N700 for a loaf, but now it sells for N1,200. A single egg now costs N150. Imagine how much a crate costs? Even the agbado corn that Tinubu used in campaigning is also expected to go up by over 25%, according to AFEX.

“The tragedy now is that a vast majority of Nigerians whose means can’t afford decent meals, unfortunately contend with staples meant for animals.

“A recent BBC investigative report says that many people consume rejected rice gains by millers. The report specifically says that those rejected grains are purchased by fish farmers to feed their fisheries.

“In a similar context, a random visit to the Garki Market in Abuja will behold a large number of people queuing for maize shafts which they now turn into solid food. Normally, these shafts are sold to livestock farmers, but now Nigerians resort to these forms of staple as human food.”

To underscore how dire the situation has become, he quoted the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Lagos, as saying in December that the hospital recorded a 100% increase in the number of psychiatric patients admitted in the hospital.

Shaibu added that, “Just last month, a female banker committed suicide inside the banking hall, claiming that the economic hardship is unbearable. Indeed, as it is stated in Proverbs 29, verse 2: When the righteous rule, the people rejoice. But when the wicked rule, the people suffer. That is Nigeria’s current quagmire where life is brutish, short and nasty and kidnappers have taken over the land.

“When the Nigeria Economic Summit Group asked him last year to explain how he would pull out over 128 million Nigerians out of the poverty that his political party, the APC, had plunged them into, Tinubu responded by saying that he would not reveal his strategy because he didn’t want the other candidates to steal his plan. But his secret plan has now been revealed, which is to pauperise and decimate Nigerians.

“This was a man who advised the government in 2021 to recruit 50 million youths into the Nigerian Army in order to tackle unemployment. His balabu economic prescriptions have gradually brought Nigeria to its knees, putting the Naira as the worst performing currency in Africa, according to Bloomberg. This is just less than one year in office.

“After removing petrol subsidy abruptly and forcing the CBN to float the currency, he promised to provide succour to Nigerians and then went ahead to approve N3bn to review the social register. Monies meant for poor Nigerians were stolen by his appointees.

Shaibu also said, “At a time Nigeria was facing its worst fiscal crisis, this man decided to waste the country’s resources by appointing the largest cabinet in the history of Nigeria with 48 ministers even though 36 ministers would have met the constitutional threshold. Many of these ministers have been seat warmers and have achieved nothing in the last six months.

“Some ministries were split into three, and three ministers were appointed to head each new unit. Even though Nigeria’s revenue shrunk, he decided to buy a yacht, renovate the Presidential Villa and that of the Vice President, sent a delegation of hundreds of people to Dubai for the COP28, and then approved over N120bn for SUVs for National Assembly members in order to win their loyalty over.

“He was doing all these while asking Nigerians to endure and sacrifice. At least even his own personal praise singer, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshal (KWAM 1), is now among those lamenting that the suffering is too much. He should be patient, Tinubu still has three years and three months to increase the poverty level.”

Atiku’s aide said Tinubu clearly knew little about Nigeria’s economy as he had been limited only to Lagos, which had always had a formal economy.

He said the President knew nothing about security or building a national economy, hence his over-reliance on IMF and other multilateral organisations.

Shaibu said, “Tinubu rode to power on the lie that he transformed Lagos economy. The truth is that Lagos had been the country’s commercial capital even before he was born. All banks, telecommunications firms, and oil companies are headquartered in Lagos. About 70% of Lagos’ revenue comes from income tax paid by staff of these companies.

“All Tinubu did was to enforce tax payment which the military government had neglected. This was the financial miracle he claimed to have performed. Now, he has been brought to the national level to repeat the so-called miracle, but the failed magician cannot rework his artistry.”

By Ayodele Oni

As efforts are being intensified to find lasting solution to the unending insecurity ravaging the country, President Bola Tinubu and 36 state governors have endorsed the establishment of state police.

This is coming even before the commencement of work by the constitution review committee, which was set up on Wednesday by the Senate.

It is the believe that state police may likely be one of the demands to be put before the review committee when it eventually commences sitting.

The agreement for a state police, was one of the resolutions made during an emergency meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.

The Minister of Information and National Orientation revealed that discussions surrounding state police have gained momentum, with the federal and state governments recognizing the necessity of such a development.

The Minister emphasized that while this marks a significant shift, further meetings will be conducted to refine the modalities for implementing state police across the country.

He said, “But now, there is also a discussion around the issue of state police. The federal government and state governments are mulling the possibility of setting up state police.

“Of course, this is still going to be further discussed, a lot of work still has to be done in that direction. But what the federal government and state governments are agreeing to the necessity of having state policy.

“Now, this is a significant shift. But like I said, more works need to be done in that direction. A lot of meetings will have to happen between different government and sub nationals to see the modalities

By Ayodele Oni

As part of move to curtail continued soaring prices of food items, President Bola Tinubu has directed State Governments to collaborate with Federal government to increase local food production.

Special Adviser to the President on Information & Strategy, Bayo Onanuga stated that at a meeting with governors in Abuja on Thursday, the President advised against the idea of food importation  and price control when local food producers should be encouraged to produce  more food.

The President advised Governors to follow the example of Kano State in dealing with hoarding of food for profiteering by commodities merchants, while he directed the Inspector-General of Police, National Security Adviser, Department of State Services  to monitor warehouses hoarding food items across the country and stop profiteering by merchants.

He charged Governors to pay attention to livestock development in their states and increase production most especially poultry and fishing products.

Tinubu pleaded with Governors to ensure all salary arrears to workers, gratuities to retired workers and pensioners are cleared as a way to put money into the hands of the people since states are now getting more monthly FAAC revenue stressing “Spend the money, don’t spend the people.”

President Tinubu further implored Governors to create more economic opportunities for the youths in their states to keep them more productively engaged.