Cost of living: Nigeria almost becoming Venezuela

State governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party have compared Nigeria to Venezuela saying the leadership of President Bola Tinubu’s All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government should not let the economic situation in the country get any worse.

Venezuela for years has been plagued by as persistent scarcities of food and medicine, shutdowns of businesses, high unemployment rates, decreased productivity, violations of human rights, severe economic mismanagement, and heavy reliance on oil.

Currently in Nigeria, kidnappings and abductions have been on the rise in different parts of the country.

Also, prices of foodstuffs have been rising, and the rate of suicides and mental health conditions of Nigerians have been on the increase as people struggle to make a living.

To address the economic and security challenges, the PDP governors after their meeting at the Oyo State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja, on Monday, February 12 renewed their call for state police and urged the FG to solve the declining value of the naira.

The Chairman of the Forum and Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, said;

What we are doing is providing constructive criticism of the Federal Government’s objectionable policies.

“But at the beginning of this administration, we supported the removal of subsidy. We believed that there were safeguards in place and that if we made collective decisions, we should abide by them. However, we have now witnessed a free fall of the naira.

Governors in attendance were Vice-Chairman, PDP Governors Forum, Siminalayi Fubara (Rivers State); host, Seyi Makinde (Oyo State); Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri (Adamawa State); Caleb Mutfwang (Plateau State); Dauda Lawal (Zamfara State); Kefas Agbu (Taraba State); Godwin Obaseki (Edo State); Deputy Governor of Enugu State; and Deputy Governor of Delta State, Monday John Onyeme – Delta State.

“The cost of living is skyrocketing, and we are almost on the road to becoming like Venezuela. So, we are offering concrete opposition without insulting anybody. Ultimately, the decision rests squarely with Nigerians and other organs in the country to ensure that we take actions that will bring relief to all of us.” Bala added.

“The rising cost of living is not solely the responsibility of the Federal Government. We have been collaborating with them to ensure that we avoid any distractions, but the monetary and economic policies are squarely the responsibility of the Federal Government,” he noted.