By Miftaudeen Raji
Former Governor of Benue State and Senator representing Benue North-East Senatorial District in the 9th National Assembly, Gabriel Suswam, said the government of President Bola Tinubu lacks the capacity to change Nigerias economic fortunes.
Suswam stated this in an interview on Channels Television.
The Benue lawmaker said the Tinubu government can not take the country out of the economic misfortune inflicted by his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari.
He said, Well, its rather unfortunate right from the Buhari Government where the mantra of Change was the singsong. Unfortunately, people didnt ask what kind of change he was bringing into governance. Is it positive change or negative change?
What we experienced under those eight years were what dovetailed into what were experiencing today because whatever foundation that was built by the PDP was completely destroyed by that (Buhari) government.
We now began a journey to the abyss. The state of the nation, economically, is nothing to talk about, its unfortunate that the current (Tinubu) leadership does not have what it takes to change the economic fortunes of this country.
All the economic policies that theyve engaged in or they have taken clearly indicate that they cant solve the economic problems of this country. I give you some example, you remove subsidy from day one, you now float your currency, increase interest rate.
Now the tariff for electricity has been increased. How does an average man survive under those kinds of heavy bad economic policies? First, subsidy itself is a problem, it affects the cost of transportation, cost of production, because youre dealing with energy, now that has been removed.
So, the person who is selling foodstuff who now was transporting maybe from inside Abuja at the cost of N5,000 now has to transport that at the cost of N15,000. Where do you think the cost will end? To the consumer. So, inflation in this country is at 31 per cent. It is unheard of! he said.
According to Suswam, the removal of petrol subsidy, floating of the naira, increase in electricity tariff, among other policies is evident that the government is out to make things worse for the Nigerian masses.
Meanwhile, speaking on the leadership crisis in his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Suswam said he possesses what is needed to take the party back to its glorious days.
He said the PDP remains the party to take Nigeria out of the current economic situation.
