Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State Thursday decried the worsening economic downturn in the country which he said has given rise to the fast declining purchasing power of Nigerians occasioned by the dwindling value of Naira.
He said Nigerians were facing a dire economic situation and biting inflation due to the failure of the All Progressives Congress, APC led Federal Government to provide purposeful leadership in the country.
Governor Ortom who raised the concern during the Praise and Thanksgiving Service in commemoration of the 46th Year Anniversary of Benue state in Makurdi regretted that the situation was made worse by the politicisation of every issue in the country.
He said: “Security has been politicised, the economy has been politicised and so we cannot move forward. Things have been so bad for Nigerians in the last six years like never before.
“Prices of food items have skyrocketed. A dollar is now unbelievably exchanging for as high as N560. We are in 2022 and it would appear that what the World Bank and IMF told us last year is already in force.
“Our government at the centre has failed to provide the purposeful leadership that will help turn around the economy and provide security and all that is required of them,” Ortom stated.
The Governor recalled that both the World Bank and IMF had last year warned that if nothing was done to improve the productive sector of the country’s economy, Nigeria would become the poverty capital of the world by the year 2030.
While regretting that more than 80 percent of Nigeria’s earnings were being used to service debts, the Governor observed that “with eight years to 2030, the prediction of the world financial institutions has already manifested.
The 46th-anniversary celebration witnessed ministrations and prayers led by the Governor who took the first reading and other religious leaders who also prayed for the state, the country and all leaders.
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