Atiku has accused Tinubu Gvernment of using poverty to control and suppress hungry Nigerians.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeriareports that Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has claimed that President Bola Tinubu-led adminstration is using poverty as a weapon to control and suppress the masses.
Atiku spoke on Saturday in Abuja during the 60th birthday lecture of former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, themed “Weaponising Poverty in Nigeria.”
Speaking on his early years in Kano, the former vice president stated that he never saw homeless people sleeping on the streets or under the bridge.
“This particular government is weaponising poverty,” Atiku declared.
He added, “When I was growing up in the north, the most prosperous city or state was Kano State.
“As soon as I finished secondary school, my first location was Kano State. I never saw people sleeping outside. Then there were no bridges or flyovers.”
He continued, painting an ugly picture of present-day Kano, “Recently, people were all over the state sleeping under the bridge, on the streets, who were driven out by poverty and insecurity.
“There is a state agency in Kano responsible for providing support to such people. And they started doing their work and enlightening people and removing people from under the bridges and outside on the streets.
“They were called to Abuja and they were told to stop it.”
Atiku expressed determination to resist this trend.
“You may call me a conspirator, you may call me anything, and that is why we are in this alliance to make sure we don’t allow them to continue weaponising poverty. Of course, one of our star conspirators is Rotimi Amaechi.
“We will continue to conspire with you to make sure we minimise poverty and we don’t use state machinery to weaponise poverty,” he said.