Here is a roundup of some Nigerian newspaper headlines, accompanied by our advocacy-driven demands for government action in addressing citizens’ concerns.
1. Punch: Grim Toll: States Move to Evacuate Flood Zones
Findings by the Punch show that several states have also commenced measures to arrest flooding, with Nasarawa, Anambra, Borno, Kebbi and Bayelsa government planning to evacuate residents to prevent loss of lives and property.
This comes as residents of Mokwa Local Government Area in Niger State on Sunday expressed fears of a disease outbreak as two more bodies were recovered beneath one of the bridges swept away by the devastating flood that hit the local governments, bringing the total death toll to 153.
Our Take: As residents of Mokwa dig through sand to uncover not just property but corpses, it’s clear that nature has once again exposed the cracks in our disaster response. State governments must quit the annual tradition of reacting after the flood and urgently roll out evacuation plans, deploy health workers, and provide safe shelters, because at this point, even the floodwaters seem more predictable than the government’s preparedness.
2. Vanguard: Federal Government’s Gas-Powered Vehicle Scheme Runs Into Major Hitch Nationwide
Vanguard is reporting that there are indications that the Federal Government’s (FG) scheme, designed to transition Nigeria’s vehicle transportation service industry away from fossil fuel (petrol) to gas, has encountered a major hitch.
Our Take: President Tinubu and the Presidential CNG Initiative must come clean with Nigerians. How can a scheme meant to ease transportation burdens now leave citizens stranded between empty gas stations and half-finished promises? While we appreciate the press releases and ribbon-cuttings, what the public really needs is a transparent update on why licences are stuck in limbo, refill stations are ghost towns, and conversion kits are gathering dust, because at this rate, even the gas is running out of patience.
3. The Guardian: Economy Not in Crisis, Says Presidency as Afenifere Rates Tinubu Low
Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Sunday, lamented that President Bola Tinubu’s renewed hope has turned into a nightmare for Nigerians.
However, the Presidential Media Team said recent government policies under Tinubu opened new economic opportunities for Nigerians and foreign investors, despite prevailing economic challenges.
Our Take: If the economy is merely ‘in transition’, as the Presidency claims, then Nigerians deserve a roadmap, preferably one without potholes of hunger, inflation, and joblessness. It’s time for President Tinubu’s media team to descend from the clouds of PR optimism and provide concrete evidence of these so-called ‘benefits’, because right now, the only thing most citizens are adapting to is skipping meals and stretching salaries like garri in hot water.
