CSO to PDP governors: Tinubu deserves commendation, don’t compare Nigeria with Venezuela

The Independent Media and Policy Initiative (IMPI), a civil society organisation (CSO), has berated members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governor’s Forum for comparing the economic situation in the country with that of Venezuela. 

On February 12, governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) convened in Abuja to appraise the state of the nation.

Bala Mohammed, governor of Bauchi and chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum said Nigeria is “almost on the road to Venezuela” due to current economic hardship in the country.

However, in a statement on Thursday, Niyi Akinsiju, IMPI’s chairman, said Tinubu should be commended for his courage in applying policies that would redeem the country from a possible “Venezuela scenario”.

“There has been a growing concern over the dwindling roles of State Governors in the economic affairs of the country since the nation’s return to democracy in 1999. Many of them are on record to have shown limited knowledge of the concept of federalism,” the statement reads.

“In summary, other data have shown that most of the states in the federation are ill-managed, reflective of the fact that substantial FAAC allocations received by these states have not significantly improved the condition of their residents.

“We further question the basis of the Governors’ insinuation that Nigeria is treading the path to the economic situation that had become the lot of Venezuela when, indeed, the policies being deployed by the Tinubu administration are the opposite of the policy undoing of Venezuela.

“The South American country, like ours, used to binge on crude oil revenues by subsidising virtually all basic needs but when oil prices crashed, its economic vertebra couldn’t carry the burden of the weight of the populist-driven subsidies that had inflation rate skyrocketing to nearly 190 percent in December 2023.

“Rather than castigating President Tinubu, we insist he should be commended for the courage of applying policies that will redeem the country from a possible Venezuela scenario.

“Meanwhile, all State Governors in Nigeria need to be reminded of their roles as prescribed in various Nigerian laws.

“To be sure, the management and control of all land in the territory of the federation is vested in the governor of the state who is expected to hold the land in trust for the use and common benefit of the citizens.

“We appeal to State Governors to consciously situate themselves into roles and duties required of them in the federal hierarchy.

“They are the first line of engagement with the people in their respective states. Thus, a chunk of the responsibility of assuaging the anxiety around economic issues being expressed by Nigerians lies with them.

“It is on this note that we call on Vice President Kashim Shettima to use the platform of the National Economic Council (NEC) to rally the state governors to action.”