It Is Unnecessary To Compare Nigeria With Saudi – Atiku Bombs Buhari

Former Vice President and 2019 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar has condemned the recent comparison on the oil price in Nigeria with that of Saudi Arabia by President Muhammadu Buhari.

In his submission, Atiku described the comparison by President Buhari as “needless and unnecessary.”

He spoke on Monday in a statement through his media aide, Paul Ibe noting that the Buhari administration should rather focus on the country’s internal challenges and how to solve them.

It will be recalled that Buhari during his independence day message to Nigerians, stated that it doesn’t make any sense for petrol to be cheaper in Nigeria than in Saudi Arabia –  a submission that has continued to generate reactions and condemnation.

On Monday, Atiku also faulted the statement by the President noting that the minimum wage in Saudi is way higher than what is obtainable in Nigeria.

According to the statement: “That comparison is unnecessary and needless because the situation in Saudi Arabia is different from Nigeria, I’m told, though yet to verify that minimum wage in Saudi Arabia is equivalent of N375, 000 so why will you compare such countries.

“It’s like comparing oranges and apples if not why you now compare an economy where the minimum wage is N375, 000 to that whose minimum wage is N30,000.

“The comparison is needless, unnecessary and there can be no justification. At this point, we need to focus on our own internal challenges and see how we can creatively address them and that was why Atiku Abubakar had long ago said that subsidy as it was then was not sustainable and something needed to be done.

“Unfortunately, it’s coming at a time when the odds are all staked against Nigeria. We are chasing the prospect of a recession, we just came out of COVID-19 and things are very difficult for millions of Nigerians who are trying to make ends meet, and they are now faced with this.

“The timing wasn’t a smart one, it could have been done earlier.

“But thankfully they have come to acknowledge what his Atiku has been saying that the subsidy regime as it was not sustainable and does not make economic reality against the times we are in.”