Leading civil rights advocacy group, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has debunked the claim by the coordinating minister of the Economy and Finance, Mr. Wale Edun, that Nigerians are enduring the hardships inflicted by the intolerably harsh economic policies of devaluation of the Naira and the incessant hikes in the pump prices of petroleum products.

HURIWA said the minister?s perspective is not only deceptive and shortsighted but demonstrates the crass ignorance of federal government officials of the true dimensions of absolute poverty that the poorly crafted and implemented economic policies have continued to unleash on a massive scale on millions of Nigerians.

?The Honourable minister of Finance and the coordinating minister of the Economy is being economical with the true realities of the parlous economic situations and the dire existential adversities that millions of starving Nigerians are going through just as the Rights said there is no wonder that the minister has mistaken the silent groaning of millions of suffering Nigerians as a sign of endurance of the pains and pangs of the extreme high costs of living in Nigeria compounded by the incessant hikes in the costs of fuel, high costs of essential food items, medication and the increasing collapse of national infrastructures including the constant collapse of the National Electricity Grid. Millions of Nigerians are suffering and smiling for fear that they may be executed extralegally on the streets by soldiers and police to be sent by government if they protest and show dissatisfaction with their suffocating economic situations.

HURIWA recalled that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, had said the Federal Government appreciates the endurance of Nigerians on the side effects of economic reforms which he said have started yielding results.

Edun stated this on Thursday in Abija during an interactive session with the Senate Committee on Finance.

He said the teething problems from the reforms are over for Nigerians as positive indicators for better days are already emerging.

?The two critical reforms on market-based price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and foreign exchange, are now at the stage of results delivery and by extension, viability of the nation?s economy through restoration of fiscal viability.?

?These two pillars of the economic reforms that have taken positive shape now portend additional revenue for government, recovery of the finances of NNPCL and a strong basis for growing the economy, in terms of attracting investment and creating jobs.

?I think we need to commend Nigerians for staying the course to this stage of getting benefits?, the minister stated.

HURIWA however dismissed the phantom ministerial optimism of Wale Edun and his misplaced perception of endurance of Nigerians amidst biting economic situations that do not look like the end is imminent.

?The minister?s statement is pure political sophistry that lacks both logic and empirical evidence because as far as the realities are concerned, millions of absolutely impoverished Nigerians are too hungry to speak out just as most poor Nigerians are dying in silence after they saw how the president sent out armed soldiers and police to kill protesters that had the courage to protest against bad governance in August and October this year.

?Nigerians are dying in their hundreds due to poverty and the constant collapse of the National economy. The minister of Finance and the coordinating minister of the Economy should be told that Nigerians are tired of empty political rhetoric and therefore are expecting this government to arrest the total collapse of the value of the Naira and the president must fire the incompetent minister of power who has become the minister that is overseeing the frequent collapses of the National Grid.?

HURIWA however warned that if the collapsing national economy is not restored back to sound growth and advancements, hundreds of thousands of starving Nigerians may as well banish the fear of deaths by extrajudicial killings and would inevitably come out massively on the streets for protests against the mass starvation of Nigerians by this administration since who has fallen, has nothing again to fear and a hungry population is an angry population. Government officials must stop their sophistry because most Nigerians can see through it and they are aware that these are pure deceptions.

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