The former military head of state, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), has warned that the economic hardship in Nigeria is spiraling out of control and urged the government to take swift action.
“The hardship in the land is getting out of control,” he stated at his residence in Minna during a birthday visit from the leadership of the Campaign for Democracy and Human Rights, led by Abdullahi Mohammed Jabi, yesterday.
General Abdulsalami added, per The Sun: “Everybody is crying about this hardship and it seems to be getting out of control; people cannot afford three square meals. The issues of transportation, the hike in fuel, the increase in school fees for children, and the lack of funds in everybody’s pocket are making life difficult for everyone. Nigerians are suffering.”
He emphasized, “We will continue to encourage the government to introduce measures to soften the hardship,” and noted that “the federal, state, and local governments should see how they can cushion this economic hardship.”
The former military leader also revealed that he is part of a forum that has made recommendations to the federal government on addressing the economic difficulties in the country.
“I would like to inform you that in some of the proposals we have given to the government on another platform, giving palliatives is not the answer to the high prices of food and other items in the country.”
He suggested, “There is a need for the government to flood and saturate the communities with food. Let them (the government) buy food and sell it at lower prices to the people so that they can afford these food items depending on their income.”
“We have passed these recommendations to the government, and we hope they will implement them,” he added.
