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Buhari’s Directive To CBN Mean, Ill-timed – PDP

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Fuel Subsidy: Buhari Plunged Nigeria Into Deeper Crisis - Northern Groups Hails Tinubu

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on food import as mean and ill-timed.

Naija News recalls that Buhari had directed the CBN to the to stop providing foreign exchange for the importation of food into the country.

The directive was made known in a statement issued on Tuesday by the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu.

In the statement, Shehu said the president gave the directive to ensure the steady improvement in agricultural production and attainment of full food security.

Buhari noted that some states like Kebbi, Ogun, Lagos, Jigawa, Ebonyi and Kano have already taken advantage of the Federal Government’s policy on agriculture with huge returns on rice farming, urging more states to plug into the ongoing revolution to feed the nation.

Reacting in a statement on Thursday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, the PDP stated that Buhari’s directive will worsen food scarcity, exacerbate the already-harsh economic situation and the general depression, frustration, resentment and despair in the country.

PDP said: “It is indeed appalling that instead of bringing solutions to the depreciating living conditions in our nation, President Buhari is rather imposing more suffering by ordering the removal of subsidy on food even when it is manifestly clear that he had failed on all fronts to achieve any level of food security despite the huge resources available to his administration.

“By the directive, the Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) have again demonstrated their insensitivity towards millions of Nigerians who are already suffering acute hunger and starvation due to severe food shortage and high prices brought by President Buhari’s misrule.

“Such situation will only breed further despondency among our citizens, heighten our security challenges and put more pressure on compatriots, many of who, in the face of suffering occasioned by APC misrule, are resorting to suicide and slavery mission as options.

“Instead of removing subsidy on food and putting more suffering on Nigerians, the PDP urges President Buhari to cut the billions of naira being wasted on luxuries in his Presidency and free the funds for the welfare of the masses.

“Furthermore, the PDP urges President Buhari to recover the over N14 trillion siphoned by APC interests under his administration including the stolen N9 trillion detailed in the leaked NNPC memo and channel the resources towards food security for Nigerians.

“It is a complete disservice to Nigerians for the government to place restrictive directives on food for the masses, while interests condoned by the same administration are frittering our common patrimony.

“PDP wants to believe that while Mr President enjoys the comfort, luxury, sufficiency and safety of the government house, he is barely aware of the sufferings of Nigerians. Our party, therefore, charges President Buhari to immediately rescind his directive before it inflicts more damage on the polity.”