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Atiku’s Reforms Proposal Compared to “Poisoned Chalice” by TMSG, Amidst Confusion

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Atiku's Reforms Proposal Compared to "Poisoned Chalice" by TMSG, Amidst Confusion
Atiku's Reforms Proposal Compared to "Poisoned Chalice" by TMSG, Amidst Confusion

Tinubu Media Support Group (TMSG) Criticizes Atiku Abubakar’s Endorsement of Argentina’s President’s Measures as “Confused”...CONTINUE READING>>>

It said in a statement signed by its Chairman Jesutega Onokpasa that his position showed that the former PDP Presidential candidate and his handlers did not have a proper understanding of the Argentina situation before and after Milei assumed office in December 2023.

ā€œWe know that the Argentina President inherited an economy in a worse situation than what President Bola Tinubu met on ground but we wondered what former Vice President Atiku Abubakar found so exciting about Mileiā€™s reforms that he considered worth emulating?

We, however, noticed that the former Vice President alluded to a report by Reuters to back his conviction so we consider it necessary to remind him that he has never deemed it necessary to praise President Tinubu on the basis of the constant positive assessment of the Tinubu administrationā€™s policies by the same international media outfit.

ā€œThe perennial Presidential candidate wants President Tinubu to toe Javier Mileiā€™s path but he pretends not to notice that since he assumed office in December, poverty in Argentina has risen towards 60%-the highest in 20 years-leading to increasing daily protests on the streets after a series of reforms including a 50% devaluation of the peso.

ā€œIs he also aware that President Milei had, on assuming office, said he would introduce what he described as shock therapy that would induce short term pains but long term gains?

ā€œWe are surprised that the President of Nigeria which is recording more favourable numbers than Argentina is not getting a benefit of the doubt even as he also promised long term benefits after announcing an end to fuel subsidy the day he was sworn into office,ā€ it said.

The group said, Atiku, as usual, was wrong when he wrote on his X platform that Nigeria and Argentina had closed the last quarter of the year 2023 on a similar path of economic downturn.

TMSG said this was outright falsehood because while Nigeriaā€™s Q4 GDP figures showed a 3.46% growth, higher than the 2.54% of the third quarter of 2023, that of Argentina contracted by 19.4%.

Besides, inflation in Nigeria stood at 29.90% in January but that of Argentina is 254%,higher than that of Venezuela.

ā€œAnd while we are not outrightly dismissive of Milleiā€™s ā€˜shock therapyā€™ in the context of the situation in that country, we know that Argentines are still waiting to see how it will work but to our shock, we have a former Vice President who prides himself as an economic expert saying it is the best for Nigeria.

ā€œAtiku praised Milei for reducing the number of ministries in Argentina and we also expect him to hail President Tinubu for his show of political will to implement the Oronsaye report,12 years after it was submitted for implementation,ā€ it added.

According to TMSG, ā€œLetā€™s we forget, the Argentina President introduced privatisation measures, expanded presidential powers and enforced cuts in public spending but he has also scaled down workers rights and the right to protest as well as removed subsidy on energy and transportation.

ā€œWe, however, need to place it on record that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which is known to recommend austerity measures weighed in to urge the Argentina authorities to shield the masses from the harsh measures.

ā€œWe wonder if these are the same things Atiku said he was attracted when he said Mileiā€™s plan is similar to his ā€˜Recover Nigeria Planā€™ but we make bold to say that it is a poison chalice which Nigerians saw through and consequently rejected because of his antecedents in office.ā€

TMSG urged Nigerians to ignore Atiku and continue to trust in President Tinubuā€™s ability to turn things around in the long run.