By Eze Nnadi
Renowned political economist and convener of “The Big Tent” in the last general election, Professor Pat Utomi, has slammed the three leading opposition political parties in the country, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) for failing in their roles to provide a strong opposition to the federal government economic policies that have brought misery to the country
Utomi, who noted how the now ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), led series of protest as opposition party against the the then PDP led administration of former President Good luck Jonathan before the 2015 elections, wondered why the opposition political parties have decided to sit on the fence while Nigerians have continued to die and get impoverished daily, following the killer economic policies of the APC led government of Predident Bola Tinubu
The renowned economist who slammed the opposition parties in a post on his X handle on Thursday, regretted that labour unions are now the ones leading protests because political parties are failing.
He noted that it is s the opposition parties that lead protests in other climes, stressing that it is why the building of real parties is imperative.
He said: “The protests have come and gone. Power says they are political. What did they expect them to be, apolitical. Labour Unions are acting because political parties are failing. Elsewhere opposition parties lead the protests.This is why the building of real parties is imperative.”
It would be recalled that the Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) has cancelled it’s planned two day protest over the current high cost of living in the country, after only one day
The NLC and the Trade Union Congress had earlier issued a 14-day nationwide strike notice to the government over the failure to implement the agreements reached following the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Though the TUC later backed out a the planned protest, the NLC led the protest for only one day before it suspended it, even as it has given the federal government fresh 14 days ultimatum to implement all agreed measures to arrest the current situation