RECESSION: Fayose faults report, says it’s Buhari, APC plot to deceive Nigerians ahead 2019

Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors Forum and Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, has faulted claims by the Federal Government that Nigeria is now out of economic recession.

He said that the claim was a mere plot by President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to deceive Nigerians ahead of the 2019 general election.

Reports by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on Tuesday had claimed that Nigeria had finally exited the economic recession it entered into about two years ago.

But Fayose, in a statement on Wednesday through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said contrary to the NBS claim that the reality is that “Nigerians are suffering and dying, with foods and drugs out of their reach and no amount of economic statistics will make meaning to people who cannot afford to eat once daily.”

He said, “Claiming that Nigeria is out of economic recession without any corresponding effect on the living condition of the people is just like they said Boko Haram had been defeated and over 400 people were killed by the insurgents in the last five months.

“If Nigeria is indeed out of economic recession, has price of foodstuffs like rice reduced to N7, 000 per bag that it was when Buhari took over power? Is dollar now N197 to $1? Is petrol now back to N87 per litre that Buhari met it in May 2015? Are Nigerians now feeding comfortably, even if it is once in a day?

“Most importantly, are states now getting enough allocation from the federation account to be able to meet their obligations, especially payment of salary?

“It must be stated that Nigeria’s foreign reserves, which stood at $28.6 billion by May 2015 that President Buhari took over power declined steadily to $23.89 billion by the last quarter of 2016. It was in 2016 that Nigeria slipped into recession, owing to the bad economic policies and repressive actions of President Buhari

Read also: Nigeria still in real recession, Atiku says

“It is sad that the APC government has remained on the path of lies and propaganda and I wonder why the government can’t be truthful for once.

“However, if this latest lie is about 2019 general elections, they have missed it because Nigerians can no longer be received by the APC lying government. Nigerians should therefore disregard their lies and keep praying for God intervention in the affairs of the country.”

On the cancellation of Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting slated for Wednesday Fayose said, “Is it not funny that the same Federal Government that declared public holiday forgot that there would be a Tuesday after the public holiday and FEC meeting will be held on Wednesday?

“Methinks they should look for another lie next week because the reality is that President Muhammadu Buhari does not have the required mental capacity and strength to rule Nigeria and I maintain that he should consider his health as well as the overall interests of Nigeria and resign.”

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