The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, says that palliatives have not worked, blaming Nigerians for not allowing such to work.
Ooni of Ife who spoke on Channels TV on the Planned nationwide hardship protest blamed Nigerians for being problem of the country.
The Royal father speaking against the background of ‘10 Days of Rage’ protest slated for August 1, 2024 blamed the people for always selling palliatives to make profit instead of using such to cushion some level of hardship.
“Palliatives have not worked and will not work. We are even the problem of the country. When they are given palliatives they go to sell it in an open market to make a profit.”
“We traditional rulers never said people should not go the streets to demonstrate, it is their right. We know we have a lot of suffering in the country and it’s not only Nigeria. We must ensure public assets are not destroyed,” Ogunwusi said.
Recall that following fuel subsidy removal, President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government approved N5 billion for each state and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) to enable them to procure food items for distribution to the poor in their respective states.
About 40% of Nigeria’s revenue in 2022 was spent on fuel subsidies. Fuel subsidies in Nigeria were notorious for their opacity and graft. Trillions of dollars were said to have been lost through corrupt practices in the payment of the subsidies, forcing Tinubu to remove the subsidy with no option of any other subsidy.
Reactions by Nigerians
Following the comment by the Ooni of Ife, many Nigerians using their X handle have reacted to it.
Chukwuemeka Azubuike @zubidavies wrote ‘‘Those who don’t want to see beyond their nose won’t agree when it is the simple truth. One thing is sure palliative is to make Nigerians dependent on them for handouts. Subjugated and not thinking far.’’
@qahemmy penned ‘‘Palliative should be given to traditional rulers not the politicians, state governors or local governments.’’
@emmanuelnnana penned ‘‘We must tell ourselves the truth, this palliative syndrome is not sustainable at all. A Country of over 230 million people can’t live on Palliative. We must be intentional to find a sustainable solution to our food crisis situation. These quick fixes are not taking us to anywhere.’’
Akinrinade @rinade303 tweeted ‘‘The only effective palliative was the fuel subsidy and they took it from us. Any other form of palliative is like scooping water into basket.’’
@Whatch1981 wrote ‘‘Palliative, if at all, should have been paid directly to the bank account of the beneficiaries. That way, it will get to the desired people, and duplication will be avoided. Only God knows what is wrong with this president that he adopted Buhari fraudulent style.’’
