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Rights and Opportunities for all Nigerians (CERON) has voiced strong concerns over the impact of the Federal Government’s recent economic policies, particularly the removal of the fuel subsidy and the floating of the Naira. According to the group, these decisions have led to widespread misery among Nigerians, plunging many into poverty.
In a statement issued over the weekend, CERON’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Francis Odiir, argued that the government had failed to anticipate the severe consequences of these policies on the population’s well-being. Odiir urged the government to reconsider its approach, as the current situation has drastically diminished public support for the administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Governments all over the world are judged by their ability to make life meaningful through policies and programmes that positively impact the people, and anything to the contrary would certainly not go down well with the people,” Odiir stated. He emphasized that policies contributing to widespread impoverishment would naturally generate dissatisfaction among the populace.
He added, “The fact of the matter is that Nigerians are living miserably because of the twin policies of fuel subsidy removal and floating of the Naira. You can see in the faces of the people that they are not happy with the government and the ruling party because what they have now is not what was promised them.”
Odiir further highlighted the contrast between Nigeria and Western countries, where subsidy regimes are in place to protect citizens from market volatility. He called for the government to “go back to the drawing board” and rethink its policies.
He painted a grim picture of the current situation, stating that poverty levels have soared to the point where people can no longer afford basic needs. “Our children are dropping out of school because parents can no longer pay school fees. People have resorted to trekking because they either cannot buy petrol or they cannot afford transportation fares. People have resorted to eating feeds that used to be exclusive to animals. Nigerians are simply at a breaking point, to say the least,” he concluded.
