Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has linked worsening economic hardship in Nigeria to the growing involvement of young people in dangerous and poorly regulated occupations, saying poverty and unemployment are forcing many to take extreme risks to survive.
Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, spoke in Minna, Niger State, where he donated N20 million to the families of suspected artisanal miners who died in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
He also met with survivors of the incident and said the deaths of the 37 suspected miners required a thorough investigation, justice and accountability.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the account of one of the survivors demonstrated the severity of the conditions in which those detained were held.
“It was a gory tale listening to one of the survivors. He told us that more than 68 of them were crammed into one small detention facility and that conditions became so desperate that they had to drink one another’s urine just to stay hydrated,” he said.
Atiku said those who died remained entitled to dignity and protection while in state custody, regardless of the allegations against them.
“No Nigerian should ever be subjected to such indignity in the custody of his own government. These were human beings in the care of the state. Whatever accusations may have been made against them, they were entitled to their lives, their dignity and the protection of the law,” he said.
He said the circumstances surrounding the deaths should be established, adding that the incident should also prompt the government to examine the broader conditions under which young Nigerians are living.
“Thirty-seven young Nigerians entered the custody of the state alive and did not return alive to their families. That tragedy demands truth, justice and accountability,” Atiku said.
“But beyond establishing what happened in that detention facility, we must also ask why so many of our young people are being pushed into dangerous and precarious livelihoods simply to survive.”
According to him, the economic difficulties confronting households were increasingly influencing the choices available to young Nigerians.
“When families can no longer afford the basics and young people are forced to take extraordinary risks just to earn a living, government cannot pretend that everything is working,” he said.
The former vice president said the impact of economic policies should be assessed by their consequences for ordinary citizens rather than by the policies themselves.
“Economic reform must ultimately be measured by what it does to the lives of ordinary people. If life becomes progressively more difficult for families, workers and young people, then the government has a responsibility to reconsider the choices producing those outcomes,” he said.
Atiku also restated his proposal for reducing the cost of living, saying he would support a targeted production subsidy for petroleum products refined in Nigeria if elected president.
He said the proposed policy would be different from an open-ended subsidy on imported petroleum products, arguing that government support for domestic refining could encourage production and create employment while reducing costs for consumers.
“My promise to make life affordable again is not a political slogan. It is a solemn covenant with the Nigerian people,” Atiku said.
“We will support what Nigeria produces. We will support fuel refined in Nigeria, create Nigerian jobs and insist that every naira of government support delivers a measurable benefit to the consumer.”
He said the primary responsibility of government was to improve the living conditions of citizens.
“The purpose of government is not merely to announce reforms. The purpose of government is to make life better for the people,” he said.
Atiku said young Nigerians should have opportunities to obtain education, acquire skills and secure decent employment rather than resort to hazardous activities because of economic necessity.
During his visit to Minna, Atiku also paid a courtesy visit to the Emir of Minna and Chairman of the Minna Emirate Council, Alhaji (Dr) Umar Farouk Bahago, as well as former military president, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd.).
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