A Labour Party (LP) Senator from Edo South, Neda Imasuen, criticized the President Bola Tinubu administration’s decision to remove petrol subsidy and unify forex windows.
He said Nigerians, especially the middle class, are getting ripped off by the so-called reforms of the APC government led by Tinubu.
The lawmaker said the legislature can only get behind them and hope their plan gets us to our goal.
LP Senator says Nigerians are suffering
Imasuen said,
“This is not the time to trade blame; it’s time to sit down and say, look, our people are suffering, how do we sort out the situation we have found ourselves?
“The steps that are being taken, I’m afraid that the suffering that Nigerians are going through right now is too much a price to pay for it.
“Now, this is a country that we don’t produce, we import, and we are devaluing our naira. I don’t see how that is going to help us. Everything is tied to the dollar, and the dollar keeps going up.
“Let’s develop our industries. These SMEs work a lot if we can strengthen small and medium enterprises and give the middle class breathing space to do what he has to do.
“On this question of subsidy, there is no country that does not subsidise, especially in the area of agriculture.
Our farmers need access to funding and they need government intervention to produce the food that we need. Today, many cannot buy a bag of rice; it’s about N100,000.”
Imasuen also mentioned that state governments need to alleviate the suffering of the people, but they are failing to do so.
Notes: LP Senator says Nigerians are suffering
Nigerians are going through a really tough economic crisis right now, with crazy high inflation caused by skyrocketing energy and food prices.
The middle class is really struggling, with so many people having to give up their cars just to survive.
Critics blame Tinubu’s policies for inflation and high costs in Nigeria. Thousands of Nigerians have protested an unbearable economic situation.
In his second Independence Day broadcast on October 1, 2024, the former Lagos governor apologized to Nigerians for any economic hardship his reforms may have caused. He also assured them that his administration has been taking steps to lower the cost of living.
Tinubu begged for more time and patience, saying his administration is working on fixing the economy for the regular Nigerians.