A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, Ambassador Olufemi Ajadi Oguntoyinbo, has declared that many Nigerians now scramble for palliatives due to widespread poverty and hardship in the country.

Oguntoyinbo made this declaration in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Monday.

The NNPP chieftain, while speaking on the recent stampedes that occurred in some parts of the country, called on governments at all levels to ensure that the fortunes of Nigerians are improved in the new year, 2025.

He lamented that Nigerians have suffered in the midst of plenty due to several harsh policies of governments at various levels in the outgoing year, 2024.

He added that all hands must be on deck in the present administration, led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to ensure that the situation improves in 2025.

Oguntoyinbo further revealed that the removal of subsidy on petroleum products by Tinubu, combined with the failure of the palliatives released by the Federal Government to reach the downtrodden, has made life miserable for many Nigerians.

He maintained that it is sad that many citizens now scramble for foodstuffs through various donors, leading to stampedes and avoidable deaths in many locations across the country.

He then used the opportunity to appeal to Tinubu and state governors to improve the lives of Nigerians in 2025, emphasizing that policies must be carried out with a human face.

“The removal of subsidy on petroleum products by President Bola Tinubu and the failure of the palliatives released by the Federal Government to reach the downtrodden have made life miserable for many Nigerians.

“It is sad that Nigerians now scramble for foodstuffs through various donors, leading to stampedes and avoidable deaths in many locations in the country, most notably in Ibadan, where over 35 children died, in Okija, Anambra State, and at the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, where many lost their lives.

“The stampedes and attendant deaths are products of the abject poverty to which many Nigerians have been subjected. While we commiserate with those who lost their loved ones in the various stampedes, we beckon on governments to make foodstuffs affordable to all Nigerians.

“I hereby appeal to the President and the state governors to please, as we enter the new year, work towards improving the lives of Nigerians. Policies must be carried out with a human face. Nigeria and Nigerians are blessed by the Almighty Allah with various mineral resources, and they should not continue to suffer in the midst of plenty.

“The President, as the Minister of Petroleum, must crash the prices of petroleum products as a way of helping the masses to breathe.”

Nigerians scramble for palliatives due to poverty, hardship – NNPP chieftain tells Tinubu, governors