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PDP to Buhari: Hike in electricity tariff, toxic New Year gift

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*Asks President to stop foreign medical treatment

OBIORA IFOH, Abuja, with agency report

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as unacceptable hike in electricity tarriff by federal government while it called on President Muhammadu Buhari to show example of his call for an end to medical tourism by stop seeking medical attention abroad.

The party rejected in its entirety, the over 200 percent increase in electricity tariff announced by the Buhari administration, describing it as draconian and completely against the interest and wellbeing of Nigerians.

The party in a statement yesterday charged the federal government to immediately rescind the “obnoxious and provocative” policy and consult further with Nigerians before any such tariff hike.

The PDP described the increase in electricity tariff as a furtherance of the fleecing of Nigerians, who are already overburdened and groaning under the weight of high costs, economic repression and heavy taxes foisted by the APC administration.

“It is lamentable that Nigerians, who are already suffering the devastating negative impact of the recent increase in the Value Added Tax (VAT) from 5 percent to 7.5 by the APC administration, are now being further suppressed with increased electricity tariff.

“Our party holds that the increase in electricity tariff, under the prevailing harsh economic conditions, is injurious to the wellbeing of Nigerians as it will further stress the productive sector and lead to an upsurge in the cost of regular and essential goods and services, including food, medicine, housing, education and other critical needs.

“This APC policy, if allowed, will worsen the suffering of Nigerians as it will put more stress on already overburdened families, cripple businesses, result in job losses and exacerbate the prevailing frightening unemployment rate under the Buhari administration.

“Moreover, the PDP invites Nigerians to note that this toxic and distasteful “new year gift” by the APC administration, at a time Nigerians are coming back from yuletide festivities, shows that the APC is indeed unfeeling, insensitive and have no iota of regard for the sensibilities and wellbeing of our citizens”, said party spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan.

The party insisted that any administration that has the interest of the people at heart should provide alternatives or hold consultations with the people before imposing such harsh tariff on its citizenry.

It therefore urged the National Assembly to rescue Nigerians from such draconian policy by deploying its statutory legislative instruments to call the federal government to order in the interest of the nation.

In a separate statement, the party described President Buhari’s comment against overseas treatment as self-indicting and raises public apprehensions on high-level deceits in governance.

It described as ridiculous, a situation where a President, who patronizes foreign hospitals for treatment and even check-ups; whose administration has failed to provide adequate healthcare in his country, could turn around to pontificate to other citizens against foreign treatment.

While the PDP do not approve of proliferated foreign medical tourism, especially by leaders and public office holders, the party held that a leader who has failed to lead by example and whose government has neglected and wrecked the healthcare systems, lacks all rectitude to issue directives against foreign treatment.

Consequently, the PDP urged President Buhari to show example by patronizing a Nigerian public hospital on his next medical appointment so that he can experience the healthcare reality that the  citizenry have been subjected to under his government.

“Mr. President can then discover that our health system has suffered untold neglect under his watch, leading to dilapidated infrastructure, empty drug shelves, decrepit and worn-out equipment, brain drain and a demoralized workforce worse than his 1983 recollections.

“It is even more disheartening that all the investments and robust programmes of successive PDP administration, including the comprehensive National Strategic Health Development Plan, Saving One Million Lives Initiatives, National Health Insurance Scheme, among others, have been degraded and impaired by the dysfunctional APC administration.

“Nigerians recall that under the PDP administration, new technologies and modern medical equipment were available in most federal medical institutions where cases such as cancer, kidney, heart and brain ailments for which Nigerians are now mostly seeking overseas treatment were effectively handled in our country.

“Our health care would have continued to flourish but for the disruption of PDP’s people-based healthcare programs by the Buhari-led APC administration.

“The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) has now become the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) of the corrupt cabal in the Buhari Presidency, which has not been able to account for the looting of billions of naira saved for healthcare needs of Nigerians.

“Under the PDP administration, the dreaded Ebola outbreak was managed without grave consequences.

If such medical emergency, God forbid, breaks out today, it would be devastating to our nation given the poor handling of our healthcare system by the APC administration.

“The APC administration’s neglect for our national health need is reflected in successive budgetary allocations under President Buhari.

“Even in the 2020 budget, only N427.3bn (4.5% of the budget) is provided for the health need of over 186 million Nigerians. Indeed, this is not the way to go”, the party lamented.

PDP, therefore, charged President Buhari to end his rhetoric by taking concrete steps to improve on the nation’s healthcare system so that Nigerians can have access to adequate and affordable healthcare at all levels.

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