PDP Blasts Buhari For Embarrassing Nigeria
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) listed many “sins” the federal government under President Muhammadu Buhari had committed and strongly criticized the Nigerian leader for his statements made during his visit to the United States of America.
The Punch reports that among the sins of Buhari’s government the opposition party named the alleged failure by the president to achieve anything meaningful during his US trip and his maltreatment of Patience Jonathan.
Speaking with journalists on July 26 in Abuja, Olisa Metuh, the PDP’s national publicity secretary, stated that neither the president nor the All Progressives Congress (APC) had learnt anything from the trip.
“Now that the visit has come and gone, our fear is that nothing whatsoever has been learnt or gained. What we continue to receive as a nation have been embarrassing disagreements, accusations and counter-accusations, blames and denials on very important issues due to lack of tact and skill in the management of state matters by the APC-led administration.
“It is disheartening that rather than secure any sort of tangible gain for the fight against terrorism, which has lost steam under the APC watch, with insurgents, who were pushed to the verge of surrender by the Goodluck Jonathan administration, now surging back and spreading into the country, we get nothing but exchanges and disagreements between the presidency and their American hosts.
“This is not only embarrassing but also a worrisome indication of crass ineptitude in the handling of international affairs on the part of the present administration,” he said.
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The PDP spokesperson called on Buhari to face the fight against terrorism with every sense of seriousness, recalling his promise in his April 2, 2015 CNN interview to end the scourge two months after his inauguration.
Metuh also said that all Nigerians were shocked by the president's statement in which he was quoted as saying that he would administer the country on the basis of the voting pattern in the last general elections.
The spokesperson also recalled that Buhari told a stunned audience in the USA “constituencies that gave me 97 per cent cannot in all honesty be treated, on some issues, with constituencies that gave me 5 per cent”. According to the PDP, the statement signifies that Buhari’s government will be discriminatory.
“Never in the history of our nation has a president made such a divisive and vindictive declaration.
“Never in the history of Nigeria has a president made such tendentious, biased and partisan statement, a blade on the chord of unity of his own country and people,” he said.
Metuh noted that President Buhari whose “I belong to everybody and I belong to nobody” inaugural speech brought great hope to Nigerians, must understand that his recent partisan declaration has brought the enormous damage and danger to the polity.
“We demand that the president come clear on this matter. Would this form the basis of government appointments rather than adherence to merit and the principle of federal character as enshrined in the constitution? Would this be a basis for termination of appointments, promotions and key policies in the service circle?
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“Would it form the basis for distribution of infrastructural development projects and other essential interventions rather than the principle of equity and equality of federating units as stipulated by the constitution? Is this a deliberate policy by the APC or his personal stance? Are we expecting the same discriminatory policy from APC state governors?
“May we remind President Buhari that his declaration to run a discriminatory government is in clear violation of his oath of office as President wherein he publicly swore “that in all circumstances, I will do right to all manner of people, according to law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will; …”
Premium Times reports that the PDP also criticized Buhari over his reported public disgracing of some Nigerian businessmen in the USA.
Metuh agreed that the president has the right to decide those to be on his entourage on such an important official visit. However, he added the way Buhari allegedly shamed and walked out on Nigerian businessmen had sent a wrong signal to international investors.
“These Nigerian businessmen were rejected by their president only for them to be valued by other presidents of African nations who led them into a meeting with President Barrack Obama in their own countries on account of their investments in those nations,” he said.
The PDP spokesperson also said that his party noted the alleged embarrassment caused by the absence of an economic team for healthy and informed discussion at the meeting with officials of the US government.
“Whereas President Obama came to the meeting with a formidable team of experts and key federal officials, our President had three APC governors with questionable performance and who owe salaries and billion of naira in debts, thereby robbing our nation the benefits and gains of the discussions,” Metuh said.
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Recalling that Buhari had insisted on running his government as a sole administrator without recoursing to relevant statutory arms and organs of government, Metuh noted that the PDP was being compelled to demand that the administration publish its expenses since assumption of office in May 2015.
“We make this demand because since the APC took office, the nation’s financial system in the absence of statutory functionaries has been enmeshed in confusion, controversy and fertile atmosphere for financial sleazes,” he added.
Metuh also noted that his party was in possession of information that the presidency acting alone, has gone into discussions with the World Bank for a loan of $2.1 bn for unknown purposes.
“What is the loan for? What are the terms and who are those working the papers? Who are the people to decide on how the money will be spent? Is it true that the $2.1bn loan is meant to pay back huge contributions for the APC Presidential campaign expenses?” he asked.
“If truly this government is transparent, it should come out clear on this loan as well as publicize details of its expenditure in the last two months.”
The PDP spokesperson also condemned what he called the recent humiliation of Patience Jonathan at the Port Harcourt airport.
The ex-pre based on “an order from Abuja”.
Metuh stressed that when Goodluck Jonathan was in power, all ex-presidents and their wives had unhindered access to the protocol lounge.
Source: Legit.ng
