The Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation has described the three months administration of President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress, APC, as 76 days of gross darkness.
Director General of the Obi-Datti Campaign Organisation, Balogun Akin Osuntokun,.said this in a lengthy article, in Abuja, on Sunday.
According to the organisation, Nigerians have over this period been at the receiving end of an i’ll prepared leadership which has unleashed a series of i’ll-thought out policies that have led to the loss of livelihoods, business, jobs and increased poverty.
He said, “After over seventy-six days in office, what are Nigerians getting and how are they faring: unplanned and ill-thought removal of fuel subsidy and unification of exchange rates; uncoordinated and confusing policy announcements; exponential increase in the prices of all goods and services especially food and other basic consumables; decline in National Savings Rate and erosion of disposable incomes of Nigerians, increasing poverty and insecurity.
Osuntokun argued that all this was happening along side “unimaginable extravagance and exponential increase in the cost and waste of governance exemplified with interminable appointments of litany of ministers and aides, and then a most unexamined desire to go to a clearly avoidable war with our very close neighbor and brother, Republic of Niger. “
According to him, the list is unending, confusing, most unfortunate, and lamentable.
He stressed that there is a clear lack of grasp of the undergirding ethos of good governance predicated on short, medium, and long-term stimulus strategies and policies.
Nigeria, he pointed out can ill afford this experimental leadership approach and foray into governance by stealth with no imagination, deep thinking, substance, and concrete ameliorative policies.
The DG stated that, “In their own words, the APC-led government admitted their error of declaring subsidy removal and currency unification without adequate plans to mitigate the potentially huge consequences, as Nigerians are now witnessing in anguish.
“For APC and their leaders, who claim to have long been prepared for the job of presiding over Nigeria’s administrative affairs, to commit such a blunder, at this critical troubling period of our nation’s history, is inexcusable.
“The magnitude of such mistake which has debased and threatens to wipe out businesses with unprecedented worsening of the living conditions of Nigerians cannot be wished away with mere promises without adequate plans.
“Given their unrelenting lies and blame games, some clarifications are imperative. Do Nigerians deserve to have subsidies?
“ Yes, they do as governments all over the world including in advanced countries offer subsidies to their citizens in various ways. Should the subsidy be removed in Nigeria?
“Yes, it should because it has been grossly mismanaged in an organized crime cartel manner with unparalleled corruption, official malfeasance, and embezzlement of taxpayers’ money. “
Our plan on petrol subsidy removal
He explained that the Labour Party and its candidate, Peter Obi, campaigned and promised to remove subsidies with a clear cut plan on how to go about doing so.
Osuntokun said, “In line with our belief and promise to create and lead a New Nigeria, That is Possible, the Labour Party campaigned for the removal of petrol subsidies principally to end the criminal appropriation of our national resources by a privileged few and their connected cronies.
“This was to be achieved through a gradual process including the effective repairs and functioning of our refineries and activation of compressed natural gas (CNG) opportunities to avoid dramatic increases in fuel prices, inflation, and pains for Nigerians.
“Nigerians should recall that the genuine efforts to remove the subsidy and end the associated embezzlement of our common resources in 2012 by the then government of President Goodluck Jonathan were strategically thwarted and stopped by the current APC Chieftains in their characteristic deceit to endear themselves to Nigerians and attain power.
“Lamentably even after deceptively and most unfortunately taking power from PDP in 2015, the then APC government refused to remove the subsidy and even used it to sabotage the 2023 elections thus affirming their unwillingness to stop the looting of Nigeria as they are part of the looting cartel themselves.
“Not only did they fail to stop the looting through the removal of the subsidy, but they also expanded it through all kinds of expenditures leading to our current debt crisis of over N77 trillion naira up from about N15 trillion when Buhari took over.
“As they were looting Nigeria dry in the guise of subsidy and other frauds, our dear Nation, Nigeria, acquired the dubious distinction of becoming the poverty capital of the world with over 135 million Nigerians now classified as multidimensional poor, unemployment skyrocketed to over 35%, insecurity escalated to a frightening level never seen before in Nigeria and all other socio-economic development variables all negative and heading south.”
APC rigged itself back to power
The campaign DG further said, “Most unfortunately again, even after being rejected by the majority of Nigerians in the 2023 elections, they egregiously colluded with INEC and rigged themselves back to power being naturally unfit and unprepared for effective and good governance, they most recklessly and suddenly announced the removal of subsidy and unified the exchange rates, consequently causing Nigerians a most avoidable traumatic pain and misery with unprecedented resultant fuel price hike of over 300%, a dollar exchanging for almost a N1000 and exponential increase in the price all goods and services especially food.
“If the APC gang had not been inordinate for power and had allowed the petrol subsidy to be removed in 2012, Nigeria would have saved over N50 trillion that would have been used as a safety net and cushion but also used to eradicate poverty, improve education, health and security, create jobs, build an efficient transport system and make Nigeria truly the giant of Africa through a shift from consumption to production. These are the real subsidies Nigerians truly and urgently need.”
What Tinubu, APC should do
He also demanded that the ruling party should apologies to Nigerians and at least provide good governance while it still had little time to do so.
Osuntokun stated that, “With their continued failures in providing the required leadership, the appropriate thing APC led government should do is to apologize to Nigerians particularly President Jonathan and members of his 2012 economic team as advised by many Nigerians.
“After apologizing, they should (in their temporary stay in power), at least seek to provide good leadership and governance by engaging the people, especially the workers, and fashioning out a clear strategy to manage their inconsistent, confusing, and annihilating policies.
“In addition, they should launch an investigation into NNPC management of the subsidy regime, the huge oil theft, and corruption that have caused Nigeria a serious financial crisis with a determination to effectively prosecute all those involved in the subsidy perfidy and fraud.”
[Vanguard]