Atiku Explains What He Would Have Done Differently From Tinubu
- Former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, has lambasted President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his economic reforms
- The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate disclosed what he would have done differently had he won the 2023 general election
- Atiku rubbished President Tinubu’s administration’s fuel subsidy removal and forex exchange reform.
TheTalk.NG journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international events
FCT, Abuja – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has outlined what he would have done differently if he were the president of Nigeria.
Atiku said he hopes President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration would be humble to borrow one or two things from his ideas in the interest of Nigerians.
Atiku said removing subsidy on petroleum products without a stable exchange rate is counterproductive
Photo credit: Atiku AbubakarSource: Facebook
He said he would have planned better and more robust reforms that would benefit the people.
“My journey of reforms would have benefited from more adequate preparations; more sufficient diagnostic assessment of the country’s conditions; more consultations with key stakeholders; and better ideas for the final destination.”
This was contained in a statement issued via his X handle (formerly known as Twitter) @atiku on Sunday, November 3.
The former vice president said his reforms will be to achieve fiscal and monetary congruence.
He lambasted Tinubu’s administration for unleashing reforms to determine an appropriate exchange rate, cost-reflective electricity tariff, and PMS price at the same time as an overkill including CBN’s bullish money-tightening spree.
Atiku said removing subsidies on PMS and other petroleum products without a stable exchange rate would be counterproductive.
Speaking on fuel subsidy removal, he said:
“Implement a robust social protection programme that will support the poor in navigating the cost-of-living challenges arising largely from reform implementation. We would’ve invested the savings from subsidy withdrawal to strengthen the productive base of the economy through infrastructure maintenance and development; to improve outcomes in education and healthcare delivery; to improve rural infrastructure and support livelihood expansion in agriculture; and develop the skills and entrepreneurial capacity of our youth in order to enhance their access to better economic opportunities.”
On forex exchange reform, he said there would be no fixed exchange rate system. He said it is not in line with an open, private sector-friendly economy.
“On the other hand, given Nigeria’s underlying economic conditions, adopting a floating exchange rate system would be an overkill. We would have encouraged our Central Bank to adopt a gradualist approach to FX management. A managed-floating system would have been a preferred option.”
Atiku condemns arraignment of child protesters
Meanwhile, TheTalk.NG reported that Atiku heavily criticised Tinubu’s government for keeping underage children in police detention (cell).
Atiku spoke on Friday after a minor, who is among 76 persons set to be arraigned at the Federal High Court in Abuja for participating in the EndBadGovernance protest, collapsed before the commencement of the trial.
Atiku condemned the move and highlighted the violation of the Child’s Rights Act, asserting that children have the right to protest peacefully against policies affecting them.
Source: TheTalk.NG
