The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has sarcastically “congratulated” Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, for acknowledging that the administration’s economic reforms have increased poverty and hardship among Nigerians.
Professor Tukur Mohammed-Baba, Publicity Secretary of the ACF, made the remark during an interview on Arise Television’s News Day on Thursday.
Mohammed-Baba was reacting to Bwala’s comments during an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday, where the presidential aide acknowledged that the government’s economic reforms had contributed to an increase in poverty but argued that the administration had made significant progress since introducing the measures.
“Let’s first of all be very happy and congratulate Bwala. Until now, one would expect that whenever he comes on TV or appears on social media, it is to deny, deny, deny,” Mohammed-Baba said.
“But I think we are making progress since his admitting fundamentally that the reforms have brought untold hardships on Nigerians. Most especially, he has not denied that poverty has been rising.”
The ACF spokesman said multidimensional poverty remained widespread in the country, while criticising attempts by the administration to justify the hardship as a temporary consequence of economic reforms.
“As we speak today, the rate of multidimensional poverty is well over 60 per cent in Nigeria,” he said.
Mohammed-Baba dismissed claims that the benefits of the reforms would eventually outweigh their immediate effects, describing such assurances as “hallucinations” and drawing a comparison with the structural adjustment programme of the Ibrahim Babangida administration.
He said Nigerians were currently struggling with declining purchasing power, rising rents, housing costs, transportation fares and electricity bills, while insecurity had further worsened living conditions.
“Look at the purchasing power of the naira. Look at the living conditions of Nigerians. Look at rent. Look at housing materials. Look at transportation. Look at electricity costs,” he said.
“See the condition of the roads in Nigeria, and above all, see the level of insecurity that has been pervading this country.”
The ACF official, who said he had visited parts of the Northeast, North-Central and Northwest, said insecurity had made basic activities such as farming increasingly difficult.
He argued that the Tinubu administration could not continue to shift responsibility for current challenges to previous governments, saying those who sought political power should have assessed the conditions they would inherit before assuming office.
“That is precisely why we have a democracy. You identify there are problems, and you think you have the answer. You go out, canvass for votes. You get it, and now you spend reminding us other leaders have faced these problems,” he said.
Mohammed-Baba said the administration should accept responsibility for its performance rather than tell Nigerians that it was not responsible for their hardship.
“There is no doubt that if the government were to go into the room, look at itself in the mirror, and tell us honestly whether it has performed optimally or near satisfactorily, I am sure the answer will be negative,” he said.
