Ransom now item in Nigerians’ budgets – Atiku
By Omeiza Ajayi, ABUJA
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar expressed deep concern on Thursday over the normalization of ransom payments in Nigeria, likening them to commonplace household expenses such as school fees and rent.
In a statement released by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu for celebrating Nigeria’s debt statistics while the country grapples with severe security and economic crises. His comments were in response to recent assertions from the Presidency that Nigeria’s borrowing levels are comparable to those of other African nations.
Atiku deemed this comparison indicative of a troubling disconnect between government officials and the everyday struggles of ordinary Nigerians. He stated, “It is both astonishing and insulting that at a time when millions of Nigerians can barely afford one meal a day, the Presidency is celebrating debt figures as though indebtedness itself were an economic achievement.”
He painted a grim picture of a nation where travel has become perilous, families fear late-night phone calls about abductions, and communities live under constant threat from armed groups. “What exactly are Nigerians benefiting from these loans if insecurity continues to spread and the economy continues to suffocate?” he asked.
The former vice president highlighted how the ongoing insecurity crisis has devastated food production, displacing farmers and leading to widespread food scarcity and malnutrition. “Farmers can no longer safely access their farmlands… The inevitable result is astronomical food prices, widespread hunger, and rising anger among citizens abandoned by their own government,” he noted.
Atiku acknowledged that borrowing is not inherently negative when it funds productive investments that lead to infrastructure development and job creation. However, he claimed that under the current administration, increased borrowing has only resulted in heightened poverty and insecurity.
“No nation becomes prosperous by borrowing to finance consumption and sustain wasteful lifestyles,” he remarked. “Citizens see no correlation between the mounting debt profile and improvement in their daily lives.”
He accused the administration of using propaganda to divert attention from the serious repercussions of its economic policies and recalled the disciplined economic reforms from his time in office that helped relieve Nigeria of its Paris Club debt and restored confidence in its economy.
“It is tragic that a government that inherited a struggling economy has plunged the nation into deeper debt and despair,” Atiku said. He dismissed the presidency’s debt comparisons as irrelevant to ordinary Nigerians, who prioritize food affordability, safety, business sustainability, and future prospects.
Atiku urged the Tinubu administration to confront the nation’s challenges with sincerity, competence, urgency, and compassion before the situation worsens.
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