This was disclosed on Sunday, in a Christmas message issued in Abuja by the party’s National Chairman, Julius Abure, as the world prepares to mark Christmas on Monday,
Abure also mocked the Federal Government’s recent intervention in slashing interstate transport fares by 50 percent, describing the policy as a mockery in a country with a population of 200 million.
The statement read, “Nigeria must have been created as a perfect example of ‘heaven on earth’ but leadership has remained the bane and today, in spite of the abundance of resources, Nigeria is ranked as one of the poorest nations in the world. Today, most Nigerians would be celebrating Christmas on an empty stomach due to bad leadership.
“A few days ago, the APC-led government with fanfare and heart-thumbing, came up with a policy that guarantees reduction by half, transportation for holiday markers. And I sometimes query the level of advice this government gets.
“In a nation of over 200 million persons, the government employed the services of only five transport companies, in addition to the rail services which completely excluded a particular Christian-dominated zone. The beneficiaries of this social scheme will be less than 0.05 percent of Nigerians.
“The question has always been, what happens after the yuletide when the scheme would have ceased to function? Would the government also subsidize the transport system in Nigeria as it boasted months ago? Schools will be opening in early January, how do the poverty-stricken Nigerians grapple with the chaos waiting to happen?
“Did it ever occur to this government that a good percentage of those Nigerians travelling may never return to their base due to economic strangulation perpetuated by this government as one of its economic policies?
“In all these uncertainties facing millions of Nigerians, I will still wish Nigerians a happy celebration and also plead with them to keep fate alive because a new Nigeria is not just possible but is already on the horizon.”
