Labour Party (LP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to understand that he was elected president to ameliorate hardship faced by Nigerians and not to mock them.
LP was reacting to a statement credited to Tinubu describing poverty as a global issue affecting not only Nigerians but people worldwide.
A statement released on Tuesday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, quoted him to have made the remarks in Lagos on Monday during a visit from a delegation of the National Assembly who came to congratulate him on Eid-el-Kabir.
Responding in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh on Tuesday, the LP slammed Tinubu for making such a statement.
The opposition party said: “The leadership of the Labour Party is disappointed but not surprised by the comments made by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu about the excruciating poverty his administration’s policies have unleashed on Nigerians since he took office over a year ago.
“It was to say the least, disheartening to hear Mr. President mock his fellow citizens by saying Nigerians are not the only ones facing poverty.
“Assuming but not conceding that what he said is true, Nigerians who are at the receiving end of his harsh economic policies don’t need to be reminded about the pain and hunger they have been forced to live with by the very people who put them in that situation in the first place.
“Maybe this administration needs to be reminded that it was elected to reduce if not eliminate poverty, hunger and disease but what we have seen is an obsession with opulence.
“We are yet to get over the billions appropriated for the renovation of the President and Vice President’s lodges, now we hear they want new jets to join the Presidential fleet.
“Our schools and health institutions are on their knees, the same government claims it cannot afford to pay public servants a living wage but has enough to make itself comfortable at the expense of the suffering masses.”
LP, therefore, implored Tinubu to uphold the constitution “you swore to protect.”
“The constitution says the security and welfare of the populace shall be the primary purpose of the existence of your government. Enough is this mockery,” the party warned.