Senior Political Adviser to the Governor of Delta State, Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo, has decried the poor economic management strategy of the All Progressives Congress APC, saying it had driven millions of Nigerians into extreme poverty.
Aguariavwodo, who spoke on Saturday when he received the State Chapter of the Market Men and Women Association led by Chief Kate Onah in Asaba, said the President Bola Tinubu led administration had continued plunging more Nigerians into abject hunger and poverty, saying it is “a trademark of the APC”.
According to him, “the APC are bad economic drivers, they have further plunged more Nigerians into hardship and extreme poverty following the poor management of petrol subsidy.
“When PDP were in office we had a smooth economic growth but look at where we are now, the falling of our naira causes hardship and reduces the quality of life of the people.
“Inflation is now 24.08% while the naira has continued to plummet against the dollar in the foreign exchange market.
“This sustained fall in the naira has greatly impacted prices of goods and services especially food prices which have had adverse effect on the people.
“When the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in power the naira exchanged for N180 to the dollar and fuel price was N87 per litre, today dollar is almost approaching N1,000 to a dollar and fuel price almost at N750 per litre.
“This shows that the APC are bad economic managers and we thank you for not listening to them here in Delta State,” Aguariavwodo said.
“When President Buhari was leaving office he left with naira exchanging for over N700 to the dollar and we were crying.
“Now the naira has depreciated more than 50 percent in less than three months of Tinubu administration. Where are we going as a nation with this kind of economic polices? He queried.
He commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for some steps taken in the last three months in saddle.
“Look at what Governor Oborevwori has done in three months.
He went to Ughelli and told traders to vacate the road and today we have free flow of traffic on that corridor.
“When he went for project inspection he discovered that many people have built on waterways and he ordered demolition of those houses.
“This is a government that is going to change things for the better and the quality of life of Deltans is going to improve,” he said.
The Senior Political Adviser described trading as one of the most important economic activity in the world over and called for more private sector investment in the state.
“Seriously there is nothing greater than trading in modern society as the bedrock of civilisation is trading.
“The colonial masters came here to trade and when they came other things happened. Once you have something to sell there is no where you can’t enter, trading is the best business in the world so I thank you for not listening to other political parties and as you stood for PDP; God will stand for you all,” he added.
Earlier, Onah had told Senator Aguariavwodo that market men and women in the state were in his office for a solidarity visit and to congratulate him on his appointment and assumption of office as Senior Political Adviser to the Governor.
Onah said the market men and women in the state were ready to partner the Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori’s administration for the greater good of Deltans.
“Our market men and women are for PDP, many political parties approached us but we vowed to remain with the PDP because we have been benefitting from this party.
“One of us is a serving Vice Chairman of Isoko South Local Government Council while many others are not left out in various appointments.
“We are everywhere across the state, local governments, wards and communities and we will continue to partner with the Rt. Hon Sheriff Oborevwori government even as our Deputy Governor is our patron,” she said.
Highpoint of the visit was the decoration of Senator Emmanuel Aguariavwodo as father of the market men and women association in the state.
