Former Presidential Candidate of the United Democratic Party, UDP, in the 2015 general election, Chief Godson Okoye has attributed the hardship in the country to the hasty removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu without making adequate preparations, urging him to reverse the policy.

He noted that the removal of fuel subsidy by the APC led government which was the bedrock of the economy according to him was reckless and irresponsible that derailed the economy.

Okoye, a former Secretary of the Inter Party Advisory Council, IPAC, who featured on Channels Television morning show Tuesday, noted that the inability of President Bola Tinubu to identify intelligent and capable people in the other political parties to assist him address major challenge been faced in the country has been responsible for the hardship.

He urged President Tinubu to be inclusive in his government by looking outside his party, the All Progressive Congress APC, and assembling credible and knowledgeable Nigerians from other parties to tackle the daunting challenges.

Okoye said “Tinubu owes Nigerians a duty of care, his government has not done that. That statement subsidy is gone without any preparation, was the beginning of the crisis, that is why all the fire brigade approach is not working and yielding any results. You must prepare the ground before you make such a pronouncement, there was no preparation for that statement, and it has derailed everything having made that statement.

“The safety net was not there. What is wrong in consulting, you have to consult. Obasanjo ran an inclusive government, he appointed people from other political parties, APP, their chairman was appointed. APC has not the concentration of intelligent people in Nigeria, what we are running is a closed system, solutions can be found anywhere.

“When people are in government they go through political parties. When Shagari won, he invited everybody, it was only UPN that said they don’t want to be part of it, so we need cohesion, which Tinubu is not doing, it is parties that contest elections. 

“He should think outside the box and go outside the APC and look for people, to consult and dialogue with opponents especially him who said he is a democratic couldn’t do it, but Obasanjo who is from the military background did it. How many Nigerians are in APC, for you to concentrate on your party alone”.

He blamed the leadership of the party in government for being weak and cannot direct the affairs of the president under the platform he ran for the office.

Okoye, who faulted the Tinubu government for not providing the needed security, urged the government to provide security for farmers to return to their farms to enhance food sufficiency.

“Government has not provided security and people are not going to farm, that is why there are no grains”.

He berated those who were against the proposed August 1st hardship Protest, saying that people should be allowed to protest against policies that are unpopular.