Barrister Julius Abure, the National Chairman of the Labour Party, expressed deep concern over the fact that a significant portion of Nigerians would be observing Christmas this year while grappling with food scarcity caused by ineffective leadership.
Abure conveyed this message in his Christmas address to Nigerians on Sunday, urging everyone to draw guidance from the teachings of Jesus Christ’s birth to foster a more harmonious and nurturing world.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s potential, Abure remarked, “Nigeria must have been created as a perfect example of ‘heaven on earth’ but leadership has remain the bane and today, in spite of the abundance of resources, Nigeria is ranked as one of the poorest nations in the world.”
He emphasized the unfortunate reality that many Nigerians would experience Christmas without enough to eat, attributing this hardship to poor governance.
“Today, most Nigerians would be celebrating the Christmas in empty stomach due to bad leadership.”
Abure criticized a recent government policy touted by the APC-led administration, which offered reduced transportation rates for holiday travelers.
He questioned the government’s approach, highlighting the exclusion of a significant Christian-dominated region from this initiative, which would only benefit an extremely minimal fraction of the population.
“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 advise this government gets. In a nation of over two hundred million persons, the government employed the services of only 5 transport company, in addition to the rail services which completely excluded a particular Christian dominated zone.
“The beneficiaries of this social scheme will be less that 0.05 percent of Nigerians.
“The question has always been, what happens after the yuletide when the scheme would have cease to function. Would government also subsidize transport system in Nigeria as it boasted months ago?”
Addressing the sustainability of such schemes beyond the festive season, he questioned whether the government planned to continue subsidizing transportation post-holidays.
Abure also pointed out the imminent chaos when schools reopen in January for impoverished Nigerians struggling under the economic policies of the current administration.
Expressing dismay over the deviation from the essence of Christmas, which symbolizes joy and reconciliation, Abure lamented how the actions of those in power were undermining these ideals and altering the course of the nation’s destiny.
Amidst these uncertainties, Abure extended his wishes for a happy celebration to all Nigerians, encouraging them to maintain hope, asserting that a new, improved Nigeria was not only conceivable but already on the horizon.
