The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the Bola Tinubu-led administration over experiences that the Federal Authorities authorised a $9 million contract for lobbying providers in the US of America.
The get together described the expenditure as an try and launder the federal government’s picture overseas whereas Nigerians grapple with worsening insecurity and {economic} hardship.
In an announcement signed by Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, spokesman of the ADC, the get together stated the choice mirrored misplaced priorities at a time many voters can’t afford fundamental requirements.
A part of the assertion learn: “The African Democratic Congress condemns the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration for deploying scarce public sources to launder its battered picture overseas as a substitute of addressing the deepening safety and {economic} crises at residence, as reported in latest disclosures on the federal authorities’s $9 million lobbying contract in the US.
“No authorities in Africa has ever dedicated such an obscene sum to a short-term public relations train.
“Whereas the ADC recognises the significance of representing Nigeria’s pursuits internationally, spending $9 million on picture administration at a time when thousands and thousands of Nigerians can’t afford meals, gas, or fundamental healthcare is a transparent case of misplaced priorities and ethical blindness.”
The get together stated it was unrealistic to consider that paid lobbying may erase what it described as mass killings and widespread insecurity within the nation.
“No quantity of picture laundering can wash away the blood of 1000’s of Nigerians killed beneath this administration’s watch. Lobbying to impress international leaders can’t substitute for a coherent technique to finish the massacre,” it added.
The ADC additionally criticised the reported framing of the lobbying effort as a marketing campaign to speak Christian safety efforts, warning that it may deepen sectarian tensions.
The get together stated Nigeria doesn’t want propaganda however management, urging the Federal Authorities to prioritise the safety of lives and the restoration of belief in state establishments.