The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has taken aim at the Presidency, criticizing its response to recent comments by Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank, on Nigeria’s deepening poverty crisis.
Dr. Adesina, a respected economist and former Nigerian minister, had expressed concern over the country’s worsening economic situation, describing poverty in Nigeria as “an unacceptable paradox.” But the Presidency quickly dismissed his remarks, claiming they were exaggerated and not reflective of current realities.
HURIWA disagrees, calling the government’s response “defensive and dismissive” in the face of a real crisis.
“Instead of taking his comments as a wake-up call, the Presidency chose to deflect and deny. That’s dangerous,” the group said in a statement.
The organization urged the government to engage more constructively with expert feedback and focus on solutions, rather than reacting with hostility.
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