Unions under the Nigeria Labour Congress,Trade Union Congress of Nigeria and Peoples Democratic Party have voiced out their worries over the deteriorating state of the nation.
In their separate messages to mark the Eid-el-Kabir festivities by Muslims,they emphasized the need for the incumbent administration to give human face to governance.
The Trade Union Congress of Nigeria urged the leadership of the country to bear it in mind that the country is in a dire strait and we can only overcome if they (leaders) lead a selfless and exemplary life.
It added that the harsh economy is taking tolls on a large number of Nigerians and out of frustration many, especially the youths are doing untoward things just to make ends meet.
It said: It is true that only God can help us overcome our challenges but we must not forget that certainly we do have a role to play. We expect that this celebration would humble every Muslim in particular and Nigerians in general in their service to God, and to humanity.
The impoverished masses of the country are going through an excruciating experience presently and it beholves the wealthy and the privileged Nigerians to empathise with the needy. Painfully and regrettably the order of the day has been flagrant transfer of our commonwealth and loans to foreign banks rather than making it useful for the nation where it is really needed. This is the time for the leadership at all levels to have a rethink and redraw a workable roadmap capable of transforming the economy of the country.The plight of Nigerians under this administration falls below expectation. We say no to more loans. It has to stop. We are not in a master-servant relationship. Public officials are our employees because they are paid with taxpayers’ money.
The Congress desires a country that is peaceful and development conscious. To achieve this the youth have to be gainfully engaged – not as political thugs. An army of idle youths portends great danger for any society. While we celebrate with our Muslim brothers and sisters, we must be committed to sharing and caring for one another as Allah has directed. We call on everyone to remain self-disciplined and law abiding even as we strive to achieve the desired development we crave.
The National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus has expressed concern over the state of the nation.
Secondus noted that the worrisome situation in the country calls for the intensification of prayers.
The PDP National Chairman asked Nigerian Muslims to use the solemn period of Sallah to present Nigeria’s discomforting situation to Allah for his prompt intervention and mercy.
Secondus, in his message to mark the Eid-el-Kabir festivities by Muslims, noted that poor leadership was threatening the nationhood and there is need to seek God’s intervention.
The PDP National Chairman, in a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, said that the blood of thousands of innocent souls being wasted daily in the land at various troubled spots, particularly the stress of school children in the North, should be enough mitigation to plead to God to save this country from destruction.
He also charged Nigerians to use the period to offer fervent prayers for the unity and stability of the nation, which is seriously under threat due to insecurity and biting economic hardship arising from poor leadership.
“An intense prayer for our dear country has become very necessary more than ever before as our nationhood is in dire need of divine intervention to survive.
“Our economy is already under severe stress, the currency is loosing value daily, unemployment and inflation rising and the APC leadership does not seem to possess the capacity to confront the challenges,” he said.
Prince Secondus noted that a solemn period like Sallah coming at this critical time in the nation’s life, provides Nigerians an opportunity to put aside every political, religious and ethnic sentiments and unite against the prevailing common challenges of insecurity.
He implored the people however not to despair and miss the essence and meaning of Eid-el-Kabir festivity and the divine succor it brings.
Meanwhile,President Muhammadu Buhari sends Eid greetings on the occasion of Eid El-Adha that is being celebrated across the world.
In his message marking the auspicious Muslim occasion, the President, through his media aide, Garba Shehu restated the determination of his administration to create a just, harmonious and prosperous country in which the safety of life and property is assured.
Reflecting on current challenges facing the country, the President stated that “COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on the economies of all countries, including Nigeria, in addition to the fact that floods have caused large scale destruction to agricultural farmlands, thereby impacting negatively on our efforts to boost local production in line with our policy to drastically reduce food importation.”
This, he explains, has led to food inflation which the government is working hard to address.
According to President Buhari, “no government in our recent history has invested as heavily as we are doing to promote local production of about 20 other commodities, through the provision of loans and several other forms of support to our farmers.”
He says, “apart from the destruction caused to rice farms by floods, middlemen have also taken advantage of the local rice production to exploit fellow Nigerians, thereby undermining our goal of supporting local food production at affordable prices.”
“As an elected president who enjoys the goodwill of the ordinary people that gave us their mandate, let me assure you that we are continuing with measures to bring relief to Nigerians, including making fertilizer available at affordable prices to our farmers,” he tells Nigerians.
The President also notes that the current insecurity in the country “has produced severe and adverse effects on agriculture because farmers are prevented from accessing their farms by bandits and terrorists.”
