PDP Tells Buhari, APC That Nigerians Are Starving, Dying
ACNNtv
Updated: May 17, 2021
President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been called on by The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) saying that the federal government should put an end to what PDP referred to as insensitivity and to take urgent steps to address the worsened food insecurity and the attendant hunger and starvation across the nation.
On Sunday, Kola Ologbondiyan, the National Publicity Secretary of the party lamented that under Buhari’s leadership, over 82.9 million Nigerians can no longer afford to feed themselves daily due to the nonchalant nature of the administration to take evidential steps to grow and protect the food sector, thereby leading to severe food scarcity and heightened hunger with increased food prices beyond the reach of Nigerians.
The statement reads: “Due to the misrule of the APC and Buhari administration, our country now ranks as 98 out of 107 in Global Hunger Index, with an agonizing food shortage, collapsed purchasing power; alarming 33.3 percent unemployment and 22.95 food inflation rates as well as increased morbidity and mortality rates.
“Today, under the APC, a bag of rice which sold for N8,000 under the PDP now sells for N30,000, a measure of garri and beans which sold for N150 and N250 now sells for N500 and N800 respectively; a measure of maize and guinea corn which sold for about N150 now sells for N400 while a kilo of meat which sold for about N800 now sells for about N2,300.”
The main opposition party noted that the current food crisis is occasioned by the failure of the APC administration to recalibrate our agricultural sector as well as to take decisive steps to address the violence, terrorism and banditry in food production areas.
According to PDP: “Nigerians recall how the APC administration had to remain insensitive to calls by our party and well-meaning Nigerians asking it to address the escalated violent attacks and killing of farmers as well as livestock producers, by bandits, terrorists and criminal herders resulting in the desertion of farms in various parts of our country.
“Nigerians can also recall the response of the APC administration to the beheading of 43 rice farmers in Borno State, wherein it heaped blames on the slain patriots instead of immediately tracking down their killers and ensuring the security of our farmers in the area.
“Under the APC and Buhari watch, our farmers now overflow in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps as their fields and farmhouses have been overrun by bandits and terrorists including political mercenaries brought into the country.
“Moreover, escalated insecurity on our highways has also hampered production and distribution value chain, with no hope in sight.”
The party therefore charged Mr. President to take drastic steps to address the urgent issue of hunger by opening our silos to cushion the situation and bring a reduction to prices.
It adviced the federal government to also realign the agricultural sector by heighten security in food production areas so that farmers can return to the farmland.
The party also aired out its belief that the time has come for President Buhari to provide direct stimuli to small businesses as an incentive to pay salaries, revamp production and boost purchasing power.
