The African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of perpetrating what he described as one of the most cynical economic deceptions in Nigeria’s recent history.
Atiku, in a statement issued on Sunday, criticised the Federal Government over the removal of fuel subsidy, arguing that the policy had imposed significant hardship on millions of Nigerians while the government had allegedly failed to meet its commitments to the education sector.
The former Vice President also questioned the government’s inability to resolve the lingering issues with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), despite assurances that savings from subsidy removal would be redirected towards improving education and addressing challenges in the nation’s universities.
The statement was issued by Phrank Shaibu, Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication.
Reacting to ASUU’s latest threat to embark on industrial action, Atiku said the development exposed what he described as the dishonesty behind the government’s promises concerning the use of subsidy savings.
He said: “A government that takes away relief from citizens, does not offer real social support, and doesn’t fulfil the basic promises it made has lost the right to talk about asking people to sacrifice.
“Families are having a hard time because food is getting more expensive, travel costs are really high, energy bills are going up, and their incomes are not as big as before.
“Instead of helping Nigerians deal with the problems caused by its economic choices, the government has mostly left them to handle everything on their own.
“That is what makes the present university crisis indefensible. The Government removed the cushion, collected the supposed savings and imposed the hardship, but Nigerians cannot see the corresponding improvement in their schools, hospitals or everyday lives.
“More than three years later, lecturers are still raising concerns about unpaid salaries and unresolved agreements. ASUU is again warning of industrial action.
“University infrastructure remains inadequate, while millions of young Nigerians compete every year for limited admission spaces. So where is the money?”
Atiku’s comments come amid renewed tensions between the Federal Government and ASUU over unresolved issues affecting university lecturers, including outstanding agreements and welfare concerns.
The former Vice President argued that the continued challenges in the education sector raised questions about the benefits Nigerians were expected to receive from the government’s economic reforms and the removal of fuel subsidy.
