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The Young Progressive Party (YPP) presidential candidate, Peter Agada, has criticized the federal government’s 90-day action plan to ease the cost of living, describing it as a campaign strategy to defraud Nigerians.
Agada said President Bola Tinubu’s administration had failed after undertaking various economic measures without success.
Agaba in an interview in Abuja, asked how the 90-day plan would pan out after the general elections, adding, that the president’s economic team had lost focus.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, has announced that the National Executive Council (NEC) approved a 90-day plan to cover the high cost of living of Nigerians.
“I agree with those who think that the President’s economic team has failed to overcome Nigeria’s various economic challenges. I have listened to many analysts, but no one has provided positive comments to support the economic team,” he said.
He noted that the minister had previously announced a subsidy intervention and a 17-point plan, including reducing petrol pump prices, eliminating illegal levies, but there was no action, so he was forced to use the 90-day period.
“These promises were made so that Nigerians would believe and elect them back to office. If you believe in the rules of the game they are playing, there are only 85 days until the elections, and you say a 90 day deadline to ease the cost of living. So, after the elections, what happens? These people are playing mind games,” he said.
Agada questioned the feasibility of reversing the hardships of the last three years within 90 days, considering previous interventions announced in 2023, including N75 billion injection in manufacturing, N75 billion for micro SMEs, N50 billion conditional grants, distribution of wheat and fertilizer, release of two metric tons, N200 billion to cultivate 500 hectares, N50 billion each for rice farmers, N100 billion for CNG initiatives, state infrastructure fund and minimum wage increase. which he said was never fully implemented.
He said the government then abolished food import tariffs which did not fight food inflation but only affected calculations.
“If you say you are fighting food inflation, then return food prices to what they were before you took office,” he said.
He further alleged that the cut in import waivers pushed customs revenues to N35 trillion with about 60 percent of it being imported without taking into account military hardware.
As an alternative, Agada recommended a Labour-Direct region-to-region development strategy, which he said could empower Nigerians with N40 million monthly and cover all Nigerians within 60 days of its implementation.
“A direct workforce and region-to-region strategy remains an option that can cover all Nigerians within 60 days. Right now, they should look at the region-to-region plan that we have. If they approach me to implement the 60-day development plan, Nigerians will be more confident,” he said.
