The Federal Government on Tuesday slammed the Peoples Democratic Party Governors Forum for comparing Nigeria’s current economic challenges with that of Venezuela.
The Chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, on Monday said Nigeria under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government was almost on the path to becoming like Venezuela.
Venezuela is currently facing challenges such as political corruption, persistent scarcities of food and medicine, shutdowns of businesses, high unemployment rates, decreased productivity, violations of human rights, severe economic mismanagement, and heavy reliance on oil, all of which have exacerbated the crisis.
There has been a notable increase in abduction cases and various other crimes in the Federal Capital Territory and other regions of Nigeria recently. Additionally, prices of foodstuffs have been rising, making it challenging for the majority of Nigerians to afford.
Reacting, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, in a statement on Tuesday said though Nigeria is facing different challenges, its situation is nowhere near what is happening in Venezuela.
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Idris noted, “As critical stakeholders and leaders at the sub-national level, the PDP governors certainly have the right to state their position on national concerns as is expected.
“However, as leaders in the country who are members of two important constitutional organs of government – the National Economic Council, which is the highest economic management organ of the country, and the National Council of States, we believe the PDP governors did not conduct themselves in a manner befitting their roles as leaders.
“It is far-fetched when PDP governors, who are supposed to be major players in driving economic growth and prosperity for our citizens in their respective states, mischievously and falsely compare our current economic challenges to Venezuela.
“We want to state categorically that though our country is going through some rough patches, which are being addressed by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, our situation is nowhere near what is happening in Venezuela.”
Giving reasons why the PDP governors were mischievous in their comparison, the minister explained, “The Nigerian economy is still very strong and is expected to record a three per cent Gross Domestic Product growth this year.
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“The economy is meeting financial obligations to lenders at home and abroad. The Nigerian government is running effectively, and our government can pay all its bills while maintaining a healthy trade balance with trading partners worldwide.
“Since President Tinubu assumed office, the revenue available to the three tiers of government has more than doubled. All 36 states, including the 774 Local Governments, have been receiving significantly larger allocations on the back of the reforms being pursued by President Tinubu to reposition our national economy.”
Idris added that the PDP owed Nigerians an account of increased allocations.
“Nigerians should ask PDP Governors how far and how well they have utilised the increased revenue to better the lives of Nigerians in their respective states.
“It is on record that most States controlled by PDP owe workers and pensioners months of unpaid salary and pension arrears. The PDP Governors have defaulted in paying gratuities to their retired workers. It is also a fact that many of the PDP Governors have not paid N30,000 minimum wage to their workers since it took effect more than four years ago. All of these anomalies in their states contribute significantly to the economic pressure their citizens face.
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“If PDP governors are genuinely interested in the living conditions of Nigerians and are not just stirring up disaffection and ill-will towards the federal government, we urge them to meet their obligations to workers, pensioners, and local contractors and see the multiplier effect,” he said.
He assured all that the APC-led administration is working hard to address the current challenges.
The minister added, “The President is working with his security chiefs to eliminate all security threats wherever they exist within our borders, and we are getting results in the number of terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers that have either been killed or arrested in the past few weeks. The success of the efforts is also reflected in the over 700 abducted Nigerians who have been rescued from captivity.
“The Central Bank is addressing the problem of volatility in the exchange rate, and we are beginning to see stability that will eventually lead to the naira gaining its actual value against the dollar and other convertible currencies.”
He urged the PDP governors “to join their colleagues in the Nigerian Governors Forum, who are collaborating with Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima to revamp the economy for Nigerians’ collective well-being.”
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