PRESIDENCY BERATES FORMER VP ATIKU FOR CRITICISING PRESIDENT TINUBU’S ECONOMIC REFORM PROGRAMMES 04-11-24
By Sadiq Aminu The Presidency has berated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for criticising President Bola Tinubu’s economic reform programmes while allegedly pushing his agenda as a better alternative.
A statement by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, believes that if the former Vice President had won the election he contested with President, he would believe he would have plunged Nigeria into a worse situation or run a regime of cronyism.
The statement made reference to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s re-election media chat, during which he was quoted as vowing to sell the NNPC and other assets to his friends.
It notes that it is easy to pontificate and deride a rival’s programmes even when there are irrefutable indices that the economic reforms yield positives, despite the temporary difficulties.
The statement says despite Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s futile attempt to hoodwink Nigerians again in his statement, it is gratifying that the former Vice President could not repudiate the economic reforms pursued by the Tinubu administration, stressing that they are the right things to do.
According to the statement, the former Vice President’s advocacy for a gradualist approach to revamping the economy shows that he is not in tune with the enormity of problems inherited by President Tinubu.
It says while advocating for gradual reforms may sound appealing, President Tinubu took measures that should have been taken decades ago by Alhaji Abubakar and his boss when they had the opportunity.
The statement points out that the Tinubu-led Administration has prioritised social safety nets and targeted support for those affected by recent economic transitions.