The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams, has made a direct call to Bola Tinubu to take urgent action to alleviate the prevailing economic difficulties in Nigeria.
In an exclusive interview with TheCable, Adams expressed deep concern over the challenges confronting Nigerians, particularly the alarming rise in prices of essential goods.
Highlighting the soaring cost of rice as a glaring example, Adams noted with dismay that a bag of rice, which was priced below N50,000 in May 2023, now commands a staggering N85,000.
He stressed the need for a reassessment of multiple taxation policies, citing their detrimental effects on inflation and the overall economic well-being of citizens. Adams urged the government to carefully consider the repercussions of taxation measures on the nation’s economic landscape.
Expressing dismay over the government’s decision to hike fuel prices, currently hovering around N700 per litre, Adams argued that such increases only add to the financial burdens faced by Nigerians.
Warning of potential unrest if these issues are left unaddressed, Adams cautioned that continued imposition of hardship could lead to widespread discontent among the populace.
He said: “I will advise that the government should look into the issue of multi-taxation. It always creates problems and inflation. Also, the federal government still has the chance to reconsider the issue of fuel price hike.
“Today, we are buying fuel for about N700 per litre, and you are saying you don’t want people to protest. Definitely, you can’t continue to impose hardship on the people, and you have the mindset that people will be quiet about it.
“How many security personnel will you use to curtail the people when the crisis comes? So, the federal government needs to take urgent drastic action on the state of the nation so that we don’t box ourselves into a corner.”