President Bola Tinubu-led government has been rebuked by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over its handling of insecurity and economic hardship in the country.
Atiku accused the Presidency of attempting to shift responsibility for the country’s worsening conditions onto the media and ordinary Nigerians.
Phrank Shaibu, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to the former Vice-president made this disclosure in an official statement released on Wednesday, stating that it is wrong for the presidency to blame citizens for instances of kidnapping.
“Is the presidency admitting that Nigerians can only be safe for a few hours of the day? Is this an official declaration that Africa’s largest economy has been reduced to an eight-hour economy where citizens must shut down their businesses, abandon legitimate travel, and retreat indoors once the sun sets?
“The primary duty of any government is the protection of lives and property. Citizens do not surrender their freedoms in exchange for curfews imposed by fear.
“A trader travelling from Kano to Lagos, a businessman returning from Abuja to Kaduna, a farmer transporting produce to market, or a family embarking on a legitimate journey should not be blamed when criminals attack them. The blame belongs squarely where it should — on those charged with securing the country.
“A nation cannot prosper when its people are told that safety ends at sunset. Economies grow because people can move freely, trade freely, and conduct lawful activities without fear.
“The father who goes to bed wondering how to provide the next meal for his family does not need a newspaper report to confirm hardship.
“Blaming journalists for reporting insecurity and hardship is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
“Nigeria does not need explanations for suffering. Nigeria needs solutions. Nigeria does not need lectures about perception. Nigeria needs results.