A former National Vice Chairman, North-west of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Salihu Lukman has lamented that the living conditions of Nigerians are getting worse while poverty has increased beyond any rational expectations under President Bola Tinubu.
Lukman in a statement on Monday titled, ‘Disturbing Signals: Open Letter to President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’, described most of the decisions taken by the President since he assumed office as disturbing.
He decried the management of policy initiatives especially as it regards the issue of exchange rate.
Lukman noted, “Some of us expect that decisions around the exchange rate will be an integral part of the broader economic policy of the government. Now, it would appear that an isolated decision has been taken to float the Naira without any clear economic policy.
“The consequence is that the Naira is on a downward swing. Combined with the rising cost of transport as a result of the withdrawal of subsidy, the inflationary pressure on the economy is very high. As a result, living conditions are getting worse. At this rate, poverty incidence will be high, beyond any rational expectations.”
The party chieftain added that the emergence of the immediate past Governor of Kano State as the National Chairman of the party, Dr. Abdulahi Ganduje as National Chairman of APC sent a disturbing signal that President Bola Tinubu was weakly committed to fighting corruption.
Lukman also described the ministerial nominees of Tinubu as a complete disappointment.
Lukman said the President has dashed the hope of Nigerians with the calibre of people he appointed as ministers.
He said: “The third disturbing signal is the quality of your appointees. Sincerely, Your Excellency, throughout the 2023 electoral campaigns, one of the strong campaign points was that you know how to find talents. When it took you more than eight weeks to nominate your Ministers, the belief was that you are taking your time to identify indisputably proficient people.
“With due respect to all those you nominated, many party members and extension Nigerians were disappointed. It is clear to any discerning mind that political consideration eclipsed any other factor, definitely, no argument about talent can be sustained. As it is, both as party members and as Nigerians, our expectation from your government has crashed.”