Renowned Development Economist Dr. Chidiogo Okpala of Nnamdi Azikiwe University has decried the harsh impact of President Bola Tinubu’s economic reforms, warning that Nigerians are being pushed to the brink.
Speaking during The News Chronicle’s Political Clinic on Monday, Dr. Okpala stressed that while the removal of fuel subsidy was not a flawed decision in itself, its execution has been dangerously abrupt.
“They shouldn’t have been too fast in the removal of subsidy. They should have done it gradually. They should carried it out gradually to allow people adjust. Now, almost every policy from this administration has driven up the cost of living, while salaries remain stagnant.
Okpala lamented that relentless price hikes have pushed Nigerians to their breaking point.
“Whenever people try to adjust all of a sudden you would hear another hike price. The price of almost everything in Nigeria is high except workers salaries.
“Nigerians have a hard skin to adjust but it would get to a point where they would not be able to take it again. Economic policies may not be necessarily bad but the timing is very important.” She added.
While calling on public officials to lead by example, Okpala urge them to slash their earnings and curb extravagant spending in order to free up resources for infrastructure and capital projects that could revive the economy.
