ACF Urges FG to Set Timelines for Easing Economic Hardship
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has urged the Federal Government to acknowledge shortcomings in its assessment of the impact of economic reforms on Nigerians and establish clear timelines for improving living conditions. The forum’s Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba, made the call during an interview with ARISE News on Thursday, arguing that the administration should admit where its impact assessment fell short and explain how it intends to address the resulting hardship. Mohammed-Baba criticised the government’s repeated justification of the reforms, saying assurances that the current difficulties would eventually give way to better conditions had not adequately addressed the suffering of Nigerians. He pointed to the declining purchasing power of the naira, rising living costs, rent, housing materials, transportation and electricity expenses, as well as poor road conditions and persistent insecurity, as indicators of the challenges facing citizens. The ACF spokesman also questioned whether the government had conducted adequate due diligence on the economic and social conditions of Nigerians before implementing the reforms. He challenged the administration to move beyond asking citizens for more time and instead provide specific, measurable targets against which its performance could be assessed. According to him, the government should outline what it intends to achieve within its first, second and third years, adding that three months would be sufficient to introduce measures capable of easing some of the hardship.
Mohammed-Baba further called for greater transparency, urging the administration to openly acknowledge the difficulties facing Nigerians and demonstrate a genuine commitment to addressing them. He also criticised what he described as a disparity between the sacrifices demanded of citizens and the living standards and conduct of government officials, describing the situation as shameful. On the 2027 general elections, the ACF spokesman said the forum would support political parties and candidates based on their commitment to good governance, accountability, anti-corruption, fairness and equity, rather than party affiliation alone. He maintained that the forum would continue to advocate responsible leadership and urged political leaders to make realistic promises and focus on commitments they could fulfil. Mohammed-Baba stressed that the government should be modest in its promises and demonstrate tangible progress in improving the lives of Nigerians.
#UTVAfrica#
