Abakaliki, Nigeria
David Umahi, minister of works, says Nigerians should not blame President Bola Tinubu’s administration for the economic hardship being witnessed across the country.
Hunger and high cost of living are currently rocking the country’s economy as inflation has jumped to 29.90 per cent, leaving many Nigerians complaining over the state of the economy amid the Tinubu government’s reform policies.
In May 2023 during his inauguration, Tinubu announced two major economic reforms—the removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the naira.
But speaking with journalists on Sunday in Ebonyi, Umahi said the current hardship was caused by some preceding factors.
The minister said past administrations had build-ups of farmers and herders conflicts among other forms of insecurity which, he said, adversely affected food production.
“I was the Chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC) committee on resolving farmers and herders conflicts and I settled such conflicts in several states, especially in the north,” Umahi said.
“Such settlements yielded fruits but the problem had dealt a lot of blows on food production with farmers prevented from going to their farms.
“It is not possible to solve the problems within such a period in office and we should ask ourselves how to solve them.
“President Tinubu is fortunately tackling the problems with his policies and when something has gotten to the climax, you don’t expect it to dissolve overnight.”
He also said the South-East geopolitical zone for instance was presently free from incessant farmers and herders conflict.
This, he said, has shown that the President had solved the region’s major problem.
“That is why we should not join the protests on economic hardship because if you remove the gunmen issue, the zone will be safe and farmers can work,” he added.
