A Northern group, Arewa Think Tank, has argued greedy politicians are inciting Nigerians against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over economic hardship.

The group said though the economy is biting so hard, it is serious as what happened during the Second Republic, adding that there is hope in the horizon.

Addressing reporters at the weekend, the Chief Convener of Arewa Think Tank, Muhammad Alhaji Yakubu said there will be light at the end of the tunnel as Tinubu is working round the clock to find lasting solution to the situation.

According to him: “This issue of hunger in this country has been over dramatised, with due respect to some few genuine Nigerians that really need support, why I am saying this is because, if you look at the history of Nigeria since Independence, there is no regime that hunger, poverty has not been over dramatised in Nigeria.

“A case study is the Second Republic, it was so over dramatised that it got the then Minister of Transportation, late Umar Dikko so angry that he had to ask question; at that time that it was over dramatised by the opposition and some few Nigerians and the press, he now angrily asked that, are Nigerians eating from the dustbins at that time?.

So I don’t want us to over dramatise this and fall into the traps of those who don’t want the administration of President Bola Tinubu to succeed. That is why I am saying this, we should be cautious because all over the world, there are economic challenges, so we shouldn’t over dramatise our own.

“I am not defending the government, I know that there are real issues, but let’s look at the genuine ones. We shouldn’t allow disgruntled politicians or disgruntled elements in collaboration with foreigners to disstabilise our country.

“And I am even making this case, using the Second Republic as an example, that is, as at the time Umar Dikko of blessed memory made that statement, the Naira was at par with the Dollar. So can you imagine that, the Naira was at par with the Dollar. So let’s see how we can give Tinubu led government some breathing space and some time before we start coming down heavy on the government.

“One of the fastest ways the Arewa Think Tank is suggesting to the federal, State and local governments to ameliorate these challenges and food insecurity in the country at the moment is for these three tiers of government to sit together and ensure that in every local government in Nigeria, N20 million is set aside every month to buy food stuffs and distribute to the most needy.

“If this can be done in the next three to six months it will go in a long way to ameliorate this artificial food scarcity and insecurity which were created by some very greedy politicians, middle men and business men.”