Atiku urges FG to tackle insecurity, economic hardship

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has urged the Federal Government to focus on addressing economic hardship, insecurity, and the rising cost of living facing Nigerians.

In a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku reacted to recent comments by the Presidency on Nigeria’s borrowing profile, suggesting that Nigeria’s borrowing level is lower than that of some African countries.

The former Vice President said that the Presidency has once again demonstrated a dangerous disconnect from the grim realities confronting ordinary Nigerians.

The ADC chieftain stated that economic policies should be assessed based on their impact on citizens’ welfare and national development.

According to the statement, Atiku said borrowing should be tied to productive investments capable of improving infrastructure, agriculture, security, and economic growth.

He noted that many Nigerians were facing hardship due to rising food prices, inflation, and business challenges, adding that government policies should prioritise improving living conditions across the country.

“It is both astonishing and insulting that at a time when millions of Nigerians can barely afford one meal a day, when parents are withdrawing children from school because of crushing hardship, when businesses are collapsing under unbearable electricity tariffs and inflation, and when entire communities are being overrun by terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers, the Presidency is celebrating debt figures as though indebtedness itself were an economic achievement,” the statement read.

The former vice president also expressed concern over the state of insecurity in parts of the country, saying the situation had affected farming activities and food production in several communities.

He said many Nigerians were more concerned about affordability of food, safety, and economic opportunities than comparisons of Nigeria’s debt profile with other countries.

“In many parts of Nigeria today, travelling by road has become a gamble with death. Families go to bed praying not to receive midnight calls announcing the abduction of loved ones.

“Villages are sacked almost routinely while those in power appear more concerned about image management than decisive action. What exactly are Nigerians benefiting from all these loans if insecurity continues to spread and the economy continues to suffocate?

“No nation becomes prosperous by borrowing to finance consumption, sustain wasteful government lifestyles, and paper over policy failures. Countries that borrow responsibly do so to expand productivity, create jobs, secure critical infrastructure, and improve the welfare of their citizens. In Nigeria today, however, citizens see no correlation between the mounting debt profile and improvement in their daily lives,” the statement added.

Atiku maintained that governments that borrow responsibly should ensure such loans are channelled into projects that improve productivity, create jobs, and strengthen infrastructure.

He recalled that the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo implemented reforms that led to debt relief and improved confidence in the Nigerian economy.

“Nigerians do not care about statistical gymnastics from government spokespersons. They care about whether food is affordable, whether their children are safe, whether businesses can survive, whether farmers can return to their lands, and whether the future still holds any promise. Sadly, under this administration, the answer to those questions is becoming increasingly bleak,” it read.

He urged the Tinubu administration to abandon propaganda and confront the harsh realities facing the nation with sincerity, competence, urgency, and compassion before the country slips further into economic and social instability.

Atiku also called on the Federal Government to address the country’s economic and security challenges with urgency and commitment.