The Labour Party has expressed its disappointment over President Bola Tinubu’s statement which it described as making a mockery of Nigerians as poor.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Obiora Ifoh, who said this added that the President needed to be reminded that he was elected into office to reduce if not eliminate poverty and not increase it.
He was reacting to President Tinubu’s statement that Nigerians were not the only ones suffering from poverty.
According to him: “We are disappointed but not surprised by the comments made by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu about the excruciating poverty his administration’s policies have unleashed on Nigerians since he took office over a year ago.
“It was to say the least disheartening to hear Mr. President mock his citizens by saying Nigerians are not the only ones facing poverty.
“Assuming but not conceding that what he said is true, Nigerians who are at the receiving end of his harsh economic policies don’t need to be reminded about the pain and hunger they have been forced to live with by the very people who put them in that situation in the first place.
“May be this administration needs to be reminded that it was elected to reduce if not eliminate poverty, hunger and disease but what we have seen is an obsession with opulence.
“We are yet to get over the billions appropriated for the renovation of the President and Vice President’s lodges, now we hear they want new jets to join the Presidential fleet.”
He said the nation’s schools and health institutions were on their knees and the same government claims it cannot afford to pay public servants a living wage but has enough to make itself comfortable at the expense of the suffering masses.
He implored the President to uphold the constitution he swore to protect, adding that the constitution says the security and welfare of the populace shall be the primary purpose of the existence of the government.