You Are Clearly Out Of Touch - Presidency Slams Atiku Over Comments On Hunger, Economy- Ekohotblog

Presidency Slams Atiku Over Comments On Hunger, Economy.
Onanuga highlights rising reserves, trade surplus, and lower inflation.
Tinubu govt blames PDP-era mismanagement for Nigeria’s present challenges.

The Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration has strongly criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent remarks on Nigeria’s economic situation, accusing him of being “out of touch” with the realities on the ground.

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EKO HOT BLOG reports that in a statement issued on Monday, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed Atiku’s comments that likened Nigeria’s situation to the unrest in France before the 1789 Revolution and the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. Onanuga described the remarks as grossly misleading, stressing that “talk is cheap.”

He cited new data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showing that headline inflation had declined for the fifth consecutive month in August. He also noted that Nigeria recorded a significant trade surplus, with non-oil exports contributing almost as much as crude oil to the trade balance, at a 48 to 52 percent ratio.

Onanuga added that the country’s foreign exchange reserves had risen to nearly $42 billion, up from $32 billion when President Tinubu assumed office. He revealed that the administration had cleared more than $7 billion in arrears, including $800 million owed to international airlines.

According to him, revenues under Tinubu’s leadership are at record highs, enabling state governments to pay salaries and gratuities promptly while still funding capital and social projects.

“After just two years and five months in office, we are proud of the progress being made under President Tinubu’s leadership,” Onanuga said. “Atiku and his party remain stuck in the past, focusing on doomsday rhetoric, while Nigerians can see and feel the positive changes.”

The presidency further argued that many of today’s challenges stemmed from economic mismanagement under the PDP era, when Atiku served as Vice President, stressing that current reforms are aimed at correcting those past errors.