PDP Governors Lament High Cost Of Living, Say Nigeria Becoming Another Venezuela

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Tuesday, February 13th, 2024

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – State governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party on Monday stated that Nigeria under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government is fast becoming like Venezuela.

The African Examiner writes that Venezuela is presently experiencing challenges like political corruption, persistent scarcities of food and medicine, shutdowns of businesses, high unemployment rates, etc and all these have affected their economy heavily.

The PDP governors, speaking after their meeting in Oyo State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, on Monday compared Venezuela situation to Nigeria and they re-echoed their claim for state police as a means to curtail the present economic and security challenges in the county.

The Chairman of the Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who described the party as the most democratic party, said, “What we are doing is providing constructive criticism of the Federal Government’s objectionable policies.

“But at the beginning of this administration, we supported the removal of subsidy. We believed that there were safeguards in place and that if we made collective decisions, we should abide by them. However, we have now witnessed a free fall of the naira.

“The cost of living is skyrocketing, and we are almost on the road to becoming like Venezuela. So, we are offering concrete opposition without insulting anybody. Ultimately, the decision rests squarely with Nigerians and other organs in the country to ensure that we take actions that will bring relief to all of us.”

Mohammed also stated that the PDP governors will work closely with the APC-led Federal Government so that Nigerians at the grassroots will enjoy the dividends of democracy.

“The rising cost of living is not solely the responsibility of the Federal Government. We have been collaborating with them to ensure that we avoid any distractions, but the monetary and economic policies are squarely the responsibility of the Federal Government,” he noted.

Governors in attendance were Vice-Chairman, PDP Governors Forum, Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers State); host, Seyi Makinde (Oyo State); Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa State); Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau State); Dauda Lawal (Zamfara State); Kefas Agbu (Taraba State); Godwin Obaseki (Edo State); Deputy Governor of Enugu State; and Deputy Governor of Delta State, Monday Jo