Former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has urged President Bola Tinubu to abandon “his love affair with Paris and London”; when it comes to vacation destinations.
Atiku suggested that Tinubu should instead consider local tourist sites such as Obudu Cattle Ranch, Yankari Game Reserve, or Erin Ijesha Waterfalls for his holidays.
Reacting to the Tinubu administration’s ban on foreign products, Atiku argued that such a gesture would do more to boost the local industry than countless policy documents.
In a statement issued Wednesday by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former Vice President said:
On Monday, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved a “Nigeria First”; economic policy aimed at prioritizing locally produced goods and services in all government purchases.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced this after the FEC meeting in Abuja, stating that the policy would soon be reinforced through an executive order.
“Now, this seeks to foster a new business culture that will be bold, confident, but also very, very Nigerian. It aims at making the government invest in our people and our industries by changing how the government spends money, how we procure, and how we also build our economy,”; the minister said.
Condemning the policy, Atiku described it as an act of double standards.
A statement by Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, partly reads: “And speaking of double standards, it’s time Mr. President shelved his love affair with Paris and London.
“If he’s serious about patriotism, his next vacation should be at Obudu Cattle Ranch, Yankari Game Reserve, or Erin Ijesha Waterfalls. Nigeria is beautiful, unless, of course, the President thinks otherwise.
“More importantly, the era of jetting off for medical tourism while preaching self-reliance must end. We demand that President Tinubu, champion of ‘Nigeria First’ conduct all future medical check-ups at LUTH, National Hospital Abuja, UCH Ibadan, or even the ₦41 billion world-class hospital in Akwa Ibom built by an uncommon transformer in Uyo.
“If these hospitals are good enough for ordinary Nigerians, they should be good enough for their Commander-in-Chief. Anything less is sheer hypocrisy.
“This government’s addiction to foreign luxuries while demanding sacrifice from suffering Nigerians is the height of insincerity. True leadership isn’t about photo ops or soundbites, it’s about setting the tone by example.”;
