The Nigeria Labour Congress has criticized Bola Tinubu’s approach to addressing the economic challenges faced by Nigerians, likening it to treating citizens like pigeons.
Tinubu’s directive to release 42,000 metric tonnes of grains through the Ministry of Agriculture was met with disdain by the NLC, which sees it as an inadequate response to the soaring cost of living and protests in various states.
During an interview with Arise TV, NLC President Joe Ajaero expressed disappointment with Tinubu’s intervention, stating, “I feel sad when we talk of the federal government giving people grains as if we are giving grains to pigeons and all these other birds.”
He added, “At this time and age in Nigeria, we are talking of the federal government providing how many tonnes of grains to Nigerians as a measure of stemming the level of hunger and poverty in the country. I beg to disagree that that is a serious insult to Nigerians. I think that we should think of something else.”
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He emphasized that such measures are insufficient in addressing the widespread hunger and poverty in the country.
Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) commended Tinubu’s efforts, including releasing cereals from grain reserves and providing subsidized fertilizer to farmers, as steps to mitigate the impact of rising inflation on living conditions.
The discontent among Nigerians over escalating food prices manifested in protests in Niger, Kano, Osun, and Lagos States. A market survey conducted by Peoples Gazette revealed a nearly 100 percent increase in the prices of essential food items over the past nine months since Tinubu assumed office.