The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said on Wednesday that President Bola Tinubu’s New Year nationwide broadcast has further frustrated Nigerians’ hope for good governance.
It alleged that the speech showed that Tinubu’s administration is grossly disconnected and unconcerned with the hardship Nigerians are going through as a result of ill-implemented policies and gross mismanagement of resources under the President’s watch.
The opposition party, in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Debo Ologunagba, noted that Nigerians were appalled that despite the prodding of well-meaning citizens, President Tinubu’s New Year speech did not articulate any specific direction for the nation or proffer solutions to the myriad of problems caused by APC’s misrule.
“President Tinubu’s speech again underlines APC’s insensitivity to the anguish of Nigerians by failing to present any definite policy roadmap towards reducing the price of petroleum products, addressing the widespread hunger in the land, and revamping our ailing productive sector,” the PDP stated.
It further observed that “the speech did not articulate any solution-based direction for the critical sectors of electricity, oil and gas, road infrastructure, food production, among other areas that are fundamental to the wellbeing of citizens.”
The party said, “It was also pathetically devoid of a precise plan to address unemployment through strategic investment to stimulate multisectoral Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in the country.”
According to the PDP, the New Year address should have made definite pronouncements on the price of fuel, especially given that with deft, transparent, and innovative management of resources, economic potentials, comparative advantage, national refining capacity, and effective policing of our borders, Nigerians should not pay more than N350 per liter for petrol within the country.
It alleged that the Tinubu-led APC administration lacks the expected patriotic commitment as well as the required capacity, competence, and skills to effectively harness and manage the resources of the nation for the good of the citizens.
“Moreover, President Tinubu’s claim in the speech that Nigerians placed their confidence in him as their President is ludicrous and shows that he is disconnected from the reality of his abysmal perception among Nigerians.
“Mr. President must realize that Nigerians have lost faith in his administration; they have since moved on and are eagerly waiting for the next round of elections that will mark the end of the nightmare which the APC represents to our nation,” the PDP stated.