1 month ago
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and person of absorption successful Nigeria has responded to a nationwide broadcast by President Bola Tinubu connected the juncture of Nigeria’s 65th Independence day connected Wednesday, saying the country’s “pot is not lone bare but cracked — and the radical stay hungry.”
Tinubu had earlier successful the time spoke of “turning the corner,” of laying foundations “in factual and not connected quicksand,” and of victories successful education, healthcare, the economy, and nationalist security.
But, responding to the Independence Day statesmanlike speech, Atiku, done a connection signed by his Special Assistant connected Public Communications, Phrank Shuaibu, said: “The yam whitethorn beryllium plentiful, but if the cookware is empty, the tummy inactive rumbles.”
According to the statement, the president cited the multiplication of schools since 1960, but successful galore places, pupils inactive beryllium connected bare floors and constitute successful dust, portion teachers abandoned classrooms due to the fact that their salaries cannot bargain food.
“He boasted of much hospitals, but our mothers and fathers inactive transportation candles, syringes, and drugs into wards earlier attraction tin begin. A antheral who builds galore huts without roofs has lone built shadiness for goats,” helium stated.
On the economy, the connection said: “we were told of bold reforms. But Nigerians cognize the symptom successful their pockets. Food prices are higher than the rooftops, transport has swallowed incomes, and galore families present devour little than 1 repast a day. If these are the ‘seeds’ of reform, past the effect is inactive bitter. ‘When the extortion is connected fire, it is folly to state the rainfall has quenched it.”
On security, Atiku’s connection remarked that Tinubu saluted the courageousness of equipped forces and declared victories implicit terrorists, bandits, and kidnappers, but “Nigerians inactive slumber with 1 oculus open, and families inactive wage ransom arsenic if it were the regular terms of garri.
“Villages proceed to hide their dead. Most tragically, conscionable this week, we mislaid Somtochukwu, a young pistillate quality anchor with Arise TV, killed successful a robbery onslaught successful the aboriginal hours of Monday. Her decease is simply a achy reminder that nary 1 — not adjacent the voices that bring america the quality — is harmless successful today’s Nigeria. “A husbandman cannot boast the bush is cleared portion weeds inactive choke his yam.”
He continued: “We were told that billions person been disbursed to mediocre households. Nigerians inquire simply: where? “If the yam was genuinely cooked, neighbours would comprehend the aroma.” Across the land, poorness inactive walks bare and hunger knocks daily, yet the authorities sings of generosity that citizens cannot spot oregon feel.
“Our young people, the expected ‘future’, are promised wings to fly. But galore graduates hawk sachet h2o oregon thrust okada to survive. You cannot archer a kid to imagination large portion you bargain the mat helium sleeps on. Nigerian younker request existent opportunities, not much applause lines.
“Yes, 65 years is simply a agelong time. We person endured civilian war, dictatorships, and crises. Nigerians are resilient — that overmuch is true. But resilience indispensable not beryllium mistaken for endorsement. Our founding fathers dreamed of a onshore flowing with justness and opportunity. Today, the riverbed is adust for many, and lone a privileged fewer fetch from the small h2o left.
“A masquerade does not clap for itself; it is the assemblage that cheers erstwhile the steps are sweet. Nigerians are not clapping, due to the fact that the euphony they perceive is hunger, insecurity, and despair. Statistics bash not capable cooking pots, and PowerPoint slides bash not airy up homes.”
The erstwhile Vice President believed that arsenic the state marks 65 years of independence, the existent measurement of advancement was not successful the fig of universities oregon the percent of ember mined. It is successful whether Nigerians person nutrient connected their tables, whether children are genuinely learning, whether hospitals heal the sick, and whether radical tin slumber safely successful their homes.
“Independence anniversaries are moments of sober reflection, not self-praise. If genuinely this medication is laying foundations, past fto those foundations beryllium seen and felt successful moving schools, successful affordable food, successful reliable power, and successful secured communities. Let mothers successful the marketplace and fathers connected the workplace attest — not conscionable politicians astatine the podium.
“Nigeria is 65 years old. But our leaders inactive service promises arsenic though they were meals. The yam is there, but the cookware remains empty,” helium added.
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