The Labour Party has chided President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima for leaving the country almost at the same time.

While Tinubu is on annual leave in Paris, France, Shettima is attending an event in Stockholm, Sweden.

The National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, said the least Tinubu could have done was stay back and empathise with the people, particularly in the wake of the tanker explosion that claimed 153 lives in Jigawa State.

He told Punch, “This is not the best time for the president to embark on any trip. It is even worse when he is not around and the vice president also leaves the country. It leaves Nigeria on autopilot.

“In a country where the leadership is serious, somebody should be answering queries by now. A few days ago, there was massive deaths reported in Jigawa State and the two leaders were not around.

“I can tell the reason we have that degree of casualties was because of poverty. People were scooping fuel to make between N2,000 and N4,000. That was how over a hundred persons got roasted to death. The pang of hunger is even getting higher in Nigeria. We want to beg the president to at least sit in the country and do the job he was elected to do.

“As it is, nobody even knows his whereabouts. We heard he went to London and later went to other places and Nigerians are unaware. Whenever we ask, his handlers will say the president can rule from anywhere. Is this what happens what happens in other developed and developing economies?

“Nigerians are hungry, civil servants are not paid adequately and universities are about going on another strike. The health and transport systems are also in shambles.”