It is not very common for a public official to put herself right in the cross hairs in one speech.

Kemi Adeosun, Nigeria’s finance minister did that yesterday when she pronounced that the “recession” the National Bureau of Statistics has just confirmed, the “recession” that we –everyday Nigerians- have actually been experiencing for several months now, the “recession” that now is at a very high risk of spiraling further into a full blown depression- is only a word.

Deji Adeyanju, PDP’s director of new media has given a very ‘sharp’ (not for the  lack of a more appropriate word) response to this.

According to a statement released earlier, Deji Adeyanju thinks that “Mrs Kemi Adeosun’s statement yesterday was an out of line, insensitive, ridiculous attempt at signalling.

Contrary to her belief, “recession” is not just a word. It’s the hostile reality for millions of Nigerians who face increasing difficulty in putting food on the table and meeting basic everyday financial obligations.”

Deji Adeyanju is not exactly popular for being courteous but then when you are the new media director of the opposition party, courtesy is not exactly what your job requires.

And in this instance, maybe we can choose to be forgiving of Kemi Adeosun and dismissive of Adeyanju’s statement but hearts times are hard and Adeosun didn’t help with these five quotes from yesterday:

“Recession is just a word”

“It is a difficult time for Nigeria but I think Nigeria is in the right hands and if we can stick with our strategy”

Considering the fact that the Federal government has been back and forth with its monetary policies. First refusing to accept foreign loans and now the Federal Executive Council has just approved “low cost” loans, it is very hard to see any clear strategy here.

“I think we need to make some adjustments in monetary policy.” … “I think we have a long way to go.”

You think? If our government is still thinking at this time, then we have more problems than what our collective blood pressures will permit us to admit.

“No, we are not confused, the time is confusing but we are not confused.

No, ma’am the time is not confusing. In fact, it is clear as day. It is time to make good on the promises of bouncing back you have been making.

“If we rely on oil and the price of oil remains low and the quantity of oil remains low, we can’t grow.”

Seriously? In 2016? Thought we knew this already.