The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s directive to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop providing foreign exchange for food importation.
In a statement Thursday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said the directive was an attempt to stifle food importation in the country.
According to it, such directive is mean, ill-timed and completely against the wellbeing of Nigerians.
The statement said, “The PDP states strongly that Nigerians do not, in any way, deserve such suffering being foisted on them by such directive on food.
“This directive will worsen food scarcity, exacerbate the already harsh economic situation and the general depression, frustration, resentment and despair in our country under President Buhari’s watch.”
“It is indeed appalling that instead of bringing solutions to the depreciating living conditions in our nation, President Buhari is rather imposing more suffering by ordering the removal of subsidy on food even when it is manifestly clear that he had failed on all fronts to achieve any level of food security despite the huge resources available to his administration,” it added.
The party said by the directive, the Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have demonstrated “insensitivity” towards millions of Nigerians.
It added that the people were already suffering “acute hunger and starvation” due to “severe” food shortage and high prices allegedly brought by the present administration.
Such a situation, according to the PDP, will breed further despondency among the citizens and heighten the security challenges in the country.
It also said the directive would put more pressure on compatriots, adding that some were already resorting to suicide and slavery mission as options.
“Instead of removing subsidy on food and putting more suffering on Nigerians, the PDP urges President Buhari to cut the billions of naira being wasted on luxuries in his Presidency and free the funds for the welfare of the masses.
“Furthermore, the PDP urges President Buhari to recover the over N14 trillion siphoned by APC interests under his administration including the stolen N9 trillion detailed in the leaked NNPC memo and channel the resources towards food security for Nigerians,” the opposition party alleged.
The PDP insisted that it was a disservice to Nigerians for the government to place restrictive directives on food for the masses.
It, therefore, asked the President to rescind his directive “before it inflicts more damage on the polity”.
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