ABUJA — Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), , has lambasted the Federal Government over worsening insecurity, rising hunger and economic hardship across the country.
Atiku accused the administration of of being disconnected from the sufferings of ordinary Nigerians, insisting that government should focus on improving the welfare and security of citizens instead of celebrating Nigeria’s borrowing profile.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president said millions of Nigerians were battling hunger, inflation, business collapse and insecurity.
“It is both astonishing and insulting that at a time when millions of Nigerians can barely afford one meal a day, when parents are withdrawing children from school because of crushing hardship, when businesses are collapsing under unbearable electricity tariffs and inflation, the Presidency is celebrating debt figures as though indebtedness itself were an economic achievement,” he said.
Atiku stressed that loans should only be tied to productive investments capable of boosting infrastructure, agriculture, security and job creation.
According to him, Nigerians are more concerned about food affordability, safety and economic opportunities than government comparisons of Nigeria’s debt profile with other African countries.
“In many parts of Nigeria today, travelling by road has become a gamble with death. Families go to bed praying not to receive midnight calls announcing the abduction of loved ones,” he stated.
The ADC chieftain said insecurity had continued to cripple farming activities and worsen food shortages in several communities across the country.
“What exactly are Nigerians benefiting from all these loans if insecurity continues to spread and the economy continues to suffocate?” he queried.
Atiku further argued that no country can prosper by borrowing to fund consumption and wasteful government spending.
“Countries that borrow responsibly do so to expand productivity, create jobs, secure critical infrastructure and improve the welfare of their citizens,” he added.
The former vice president recalled that the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo implemented reforms that secured debt relief and restored confidence in Nigeria’s economy.
He urged the Tinubu administration to stop propaganda and urgently confront the country’s worsening economic and security challenges with sincerity and competence.
“Nigerians care about whether food is affordable, whether their children are safe, whether businesses can survive and whether the future still holds any promise,” he said.
