A pastor and human rights activist in Osun Sate, Bishop Seun Adeoye, has lamented the hardship facing Nigerians in the last three months, noting that palliatives provided by President Bola Tinubu to mitigate the effects of subsidy removal are mere political statements.
Adeoye made this disclosure in a statement on Tuesday, noting that subsidy is gone’ but the so-called palliatives are mere political statements.
“Today, 29th of August, marks three months of Tinubu’s government. But within these three months, businesses are collapsing, people are becoming jobless, hunger now pervades the land, and many who appear to be alive are just walking corpses.
“Let the truth be told, this ‘ground’ is not ‘running’ Mr. President. It has been three months of extreme hardship and suffering for Nigerians. And it is virtually becoming unbearable.
“You and your family are up there in a secured Aso Rock. Those who surround you are big men. They can’t feel the pains the way we, the people, do. ‘Igboro o rerin Sir’. I mean, people are not happy at all. We cannot pretend that there is sadness everywhere.
“Is there anything new done by this administration that has never been done? None. Our ‘City Boy’ almost dragged us into war with Niger Republic while terrorists, bandits and kidnappers are still having their field days in our own country. The other day, soldiers were slaughtered in Niger state, and some intending youth corpers were kidnapped in Zamfara.
“A new government ought to have even shown some signs of strength, but killings in Plateau, Niger and Benue States and other places were manifestations of ‘continuity’ of the past.
“Subsidy is gone’ but the so-called palliatives are mere political statements. A N5 billion largesse to a state with 5 million population is just N1,000 per person. Yet, prices of foodstuffs and transportations have gone up astronomically and the masses are crying.
“Mr. President, your 100,000 bags of rice per state is a huge joke. It can’t go one ‘kongo or mudu’ each per family. I don’t trade in foreign currency but how’s the dollar market today compared to when you took over?
“Soon, very soon, we’ll be overwhelmed by propaganda and sponsored performance statistics. But the fact remains that this government has not only taken food off the tables of the masses but has successfully taken smiles off their cheeks,” he said in his statement.
However, Bishop Adeoye called on Nigerians not to stop praying for the country and her leaders.
