ABUJA – Salihu Lukman, a former leader in the APC party, is worried about high food prices causing protests in Nigeria. He says the government’s plan for positive change is now making people angry.
Lukman criticizes the party’s spokesman, Felix Morka, for wrongly blaming opposition parties for the public’s natural upset over high prices and economic problems.
He remembers warning the government in August 2023 about bad policy decisions that could hurt the economy. He wrote a letter to President Tinubu, saying the government’s actions on fuel subsidy and currency exchange rates were causing problems like high living costs and poverty.
Lukman believes the current problems with food prices and other issues are because of the government’s choices. He’s upset with attempts to dismiss the protests as caused by opposition parties.
He points out it doesn’t make sense to blame opposition for protests in areas where APC is strong. He argues that the protests are a direct response to the hardships people are facing.
Lukman hopes the government will come up with a clear economic plan to address the issues caused by removing fuel subsidies and changing the currency exchange rate. He says these were necessary but should have been part of a bigger plan.
He calls for the government and party leaders to take responsibility instead of blaming others. He warns against ignoring people’s legitimate complaints and urges the president to listen to the public and adjust policies.
Lukman concludes by saying the government’s promise of “Renewed Hope” is now turning into “Renewed Anger” because of the economic challenges and calls for urgent action to address the people’s concerns.