- HURIWA Knocks FG For Raising Taxes
THE current disenchantment among Nigerians against the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration in the country has continued to grow as notable party members have joined the cry for President Bola Tinubu to address the intensifying hunger occasioned by his unfavourable policies.
Yesterday, a chieftain of the APC in Osun State, Mr. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, appealed to President Bola Tinubu, to quickly address the growing hunger and economic hardship in the country.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, made the appeal while speaking with newsmen, yesterday, in Osogbo.
Earlier, on August 7,Oyintiloye, while speaking with newsmen noted that the various financial interventions by the Federal Government to the states to alleviate poverty, have not reflected in the overall well-being of the citizens.
Yesterday, he also told newsmen that the current suffering and hardship Nigerians were passing through required a faster and impactful approach as many are starving to death.
He said that although there was no doubt that the President was working hard to ameliorate the suffering of the people, but a faster approach was needed.
Oyintiloye, a member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), noted that the economic hardship through the hike in the prices of food stuff, petrol, electricity, cooking gas, among others were becoming unbearable.
He said the recent increment in the fuel pump price will no doubt worsen the hardship the masses were currently going through.
“Nigerians are hopeful that there will be positive turn around in the country but measures to achieve this must be accelerated.
“There is no doubt that the President is doing everything humanly possible to ameliorate the suffering of the masses but a faster approach must be considered.
“The President should ensure that every bureaucratic bottleneck that is impeding the swift implementation of policies that will put smiles on the faces of the masses is removed.
“The economic suffering the masses are currently going through is becoming unbearable and the President must act fast. Nigerians are hungry,” he said.
Oyintiloye also urged the President to see to the delay in the implementation of the suspension of customs duties and taxes on imported food items two months after.
The APC chieftain said that since the initiative was said to be part of measures to combat rising food inflation across the country, there should not be any delay in its implementation by the concerned authorities.
Oyintiloye, who noted that on Aug. 7, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adeniyi, assured that the implementation of the policy would commence the following week once the guidelines were ready, said up till now the policy was yet to be implemented
“There is no doubt that the President is passionate and willing to put smiles on the faces of the masses but those who are in charge of implementing these policies should not be seen as road blocks.
“The President gave a directive to the authorities of the Nigeria Customs Services that a 150-day duty-free window to allow the importation of maize, husked brown rice, and wheat and almost two months after this is yet to be implemented.
“This is not good enough. The President cannot be everywhere and that is why his foot soldiers must be proactive in taking steps to achieve the President’s desire.
“The masses are angry and hungry, and that is why all measures to ameliorate this should be acted on faster,” he stated. (NAN)
…. Stop Suffocating Nigerians With IMF, World Bank Policies, HURIWA Warns Tinubu
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has condemned the Federal Government’s recent decision to increase the Value Added Tax (VAT) from 7.5 per cent to 10 per cent.
The civil rights organization criticized the government for imposing additional financial strain on Nigerians, stating that these policies are driving the population into deeper poverty.
HURIWA further warned that these actions, influenced by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, and individuals like Bill Gates, could ignite widespread unrest.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA called for an immediate reversal of the VAT hike and other “suffocating” fiscal measures that are compounding the economic suffering of the populace.
The group warned that Nigerians may not endure further deterioration of their economic conditions, which could lead to civil disobedience.
“The VAT increment is just one in a series of damaging financial measures. Since the removal of fuel subsidies, petrol prices have surged by over 200%, with ripple effects on transportation, food, and other essential commodities. The average Nigerian, especially in low-income groups, is struggling to afford basic necessities,” the statement read.
The rights group further lamented the effect of inflation on the housing sector, as rising costs have forced landlords to increase rents, pushing many citizens to the edge of homelessness.
Despite these severe challenges, HURIWA criticized the government’s apparent disconnect from the harsh realities faced by everyday Nigerians.
The group argued that these decisions are being driven by international financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank, whose policies prioritize fiscal tightening at the expense of social welfare.
“The Nigerian government is making choices that benefit these institutions but leave the Nigerian people worse off. The well-being of citizens is being sacrificed for economic targets dictated by foreign entities,” HURIWA stated.
Citing the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), HURIWA emphasized that 133 million Nigerians, or 63% of the population, live in multidimensional poverty, a stark indicator of the country’s deteriorating socio-economic conditions.
The group stressed that this alarming figure underscores the gravity of the situation and the urgency of reversing harmful policies.
HURIWA also pointed to warnings from the United Nations, which projected that over 25 million Nigerians could face severe food insecurity between June and August 2024, primarily in northern regions.
Factors like climate change, conflict, and poor governance contribute to this crisis, which is exacerbated by rising food prices. HURIWA warned that the hunger crisis could reach catastrophic levels unless urgent measures are taken.
“These financial bodies are promoting policies that align with their global agenda, not with the survival of ordinary Nigerians. The government is blindly following their advice without considering the local realities,” it added.
