A frontline politician in Oyo State and former Secretary to the State Government, Chief Sharafadeen Abiodun Alli, has called for sober reflection on the part of the leaders across the country as fuel scarcity with its attendant hike in the economic lives of citizenry threaten this year’s Christmas and New Year’s festivities.
Alli, a former Chairman of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, made the call on Sunday in an interview with journalists in Ibadan.
He said: “The cost of living has reached an alarming rate and this calls for sober reflection on the part of Nigerian leaders.
“The mass of our people are groaning in silence as many are languishing in abject poverty with no hope of survival.
“It is so sad that the Federal Government has failed to live up to its billing of providing responsible leadership to the hapless citizens.
“The situation becomes more intense and very unfavourable now that the Christmas and New year festivities are on.
“One wonders how we sunk to this sorry level with abundance of human and material resources God deposited in this land.
“The cost of buying goods in the market is so high and the resources to make a good living are not there.
“The parlous state of our economy today is threatening the survival of many and I dare say, why have we failed to learn from history and deliver laudable democratic dividends to the majority of our citizens?
“Do unto others what you will wish for yourself goes the injunction of Allah.
“Why are we so wicked and oblivious that we shall all account for our deeds in the hereafter?
“May God heal this land and grant us leaders who genuinely have the love of the people at heart.”
Alli, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, who admonished citizens to pray for a greater tomorrow where life will be in abundance for all, also congratulated all Christians on this year’s celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ with a mindset that God, the Creator, will turn this land around for the better and touch the hearts of its elite ruling class to do good at all times.