…says Nigerian economy crumbling under Buhari
By Dare Akogun
Prominent civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), on Wednesday, asked the Federal Government to remove multiple taxation and the 10 per cent excise duty placed on carbonated drinks which is forcing manufacturing companies and factories to shut down and relocate to neighbouring countries.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement on Wednesday, said Nigeria’s economy is crumbling under President Muhammadu Buhari under the nose of the National Economic Council led by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo which he says has blatantly failed Nigerians as it has not delivered any prosperity to Nigerians in about eight years now.
The group said though Buhari promised to uplift millions of people from the poverty bracket when he campaigned for office in 2015, the president has done exactly the contrast of what he promised as the shallow economic decisions of his government have plunged millions of Nigerians into poverty with unemployment rate standing at 33.3%, meaning about 23 million agile and active adult Nigerians are jobless.
HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “It is so unfortunate that all indices of economic development are in red and the levels of unemployment and poverty, hunger have ballooned out of control and it is so clear that there is a disconnect the economic team of President Buhari if they are indeed still in existence.
“It is evident that the soaring prices of diesel, cooking gas, electricity tariffs and the general sources of energy make it difficult for businesses to thrive in Nigeria. Yet, the government is insensitive by imposing multiple taxations and unthinkable excise duties to further burden businesses who are supposed to be encouraged to keep providing jobs for citizens as government has no job anywhere, he said.
Continuing ,“With inflation rate at a new 17-year high of 20.77% in September 2022 and food inflation at 23.34%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, prices of food and essential commodities have skyrocketed to more than 100% in some cases.
“In fact, N1,000 can hardly buy a loaf of bread while the prices of tubers, pepper, garri, cassava, rice and other grains which are staples of the common man have shot beyond the roof.
“The situation has since gone from bad to worse with the flooding that has ravaged over 20 states across the Federation, washing away thousands of hectares and acres of farmlands,” he said.
Members of the National Union of Food Beverage and Tobacco Employees (NUFBTE) recently reflected the growing job loss due to multiple taxation and other crippling business conditions by the Federal Government when they lamented that more than 5,000 employees in the sector have been sacked within eight months in 2022.
This is as the group said plans have been have concluded by beverage companies to leave Nigeria and relocate their factories to neighbouring West African countries where production cost is lesser and the finished products will be brought back to Nigeria to sell.
