The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday criticized most of the policies of President Muhammadu Buhari, accusing him of running a discriminatory, vindictive and divisive government.
It also alleged that a new form of corruption is thriving under the President Buhari administration in spite of his anti-corruption crusade. The party specifically asked the president to tell Nigerians what he plans to do with the $2.1billion World Bank loan and counter claims over the disbursement of the recent bailout fund with the governors saying they have not received any bailout from the Federal Government.
This came as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) described the PDP’s statements as hollow adding that the PDP is incapable of providing virile opposition to the ruling party.
Indeed, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State said yesterday that contrary to insinuations in many quarters, no state has got a kobo from the Federal Government as bailout fund.
He spoke at a reception for the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arase, in Sabongida Ora, Owan West Local Government Area of the state, weekend. According to the governor, the cheering news, however, is that President Muhammadu Buhari is committed to seeing an end to the situation where up to 15 states owe workers’ salaries.
Buhari running discriminatory, vindictive govt –PDP
The national leadership of the PDP criticized President Buhari over statements attributed to him that Nigerians who gave him 97 per cent of their votes will be better treated than those who gave him five per cent.
President Buhari reportedly made the comment in a session with foreign journalists in Washington DC during his visit to the United States of America.
The PDP said the statement was not only vindictive and divisive, but also an attempt by the president to govern the country in a discriminatory manner.
Addressing Journalists yesterday, PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh said the statement was biased and partisan, adding that it has become imperative for the president to explain if this would form the basis of government appointments and jettisoning of merit and the principle of federal character as enshrined in the constitution.
Metu, who described the recent visit of the President to the United States as embarrassing, stressed that the absence of an economic team for healthy and informed discussion at the meeting with officials of the US government was a serious blunder.
The PDP also lampooned the government over comments by the Director of Protocol, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Hussein, warning former first lady, Dame Patience Jonathan that if he sees her again at the Protocol Lounge of the Port Harcourt Airport, she would be dealt with.
Urging the presidency to call the officer to order, the party said: “The recent organised public humiliation of the immediate past First lady and wife of the former President, Dame Patience Jonathan at the Port Harcourt Airport where she was refused access to the protocol lounge based on ‘order from Abuja’ is a particular case in point.
“We stress this case because when the immediate past President was in power, all former presidents and their slouches had unhindered access to the protocol lounge,”adding, “while we note that this development has been widely condemned by Nigerians, we ask if the former President erred in conceding defeat. Is the Federal Government by any means encouraging a sit-tight attitude by government officials?”
Metuh, who urged President Buhari to explain to Nigerians what his planned World Bank Loan of $2.1 billion would be used for, if the government was actually transparent, however asked the President to account to Nigerians the cost of governance since May 29 against the backdrop that he has taken some very serious decisions without recourse to relevant statutory arms and organs of government.
The PDP spokesperson who stressed that the All Progressives Congress, APC government so far has no direction, said: “President Buhari told a stunned audience in the US that “constituencies that gave me 97 percent cannot in all honesty be treated, on some issues, with constituencies that gave me five percent”, signifying that his 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…
“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?
“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?
On the president’s US trip, the PDP said: “Similarly, the business community in Nigeria and indeed across the world noted with utter dismay the disgraceful treatment meted out on some Nigerian bankers and captains of industries by President Buhari during his US visit.
“Whereas the President has the right to decide who makes his entourage on such an important official visit, which visibly excluded National Assembly leaders, economic experts and had no woman, the manner with which he shamed and walked out Nigerians businessmen sends very wrong signal to international investors and poses great threats to inflow of direct foreign investment into our country.
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 Barack Obama in their own countries on account of their investments in those nations.
“Whilst we reserve our comments on the numerous blunders and gaffes in the presentation of ideas, we note the 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.
“Furthermore, since the President has insisted on running his government as a sole administrator, making important decisions on national affairs without recourse to relevant statutory arms and organs of government, we are compelled to demand that this administration come out clear on its expenses since assumption of office in May in keeping with its much harped stance on transparency.
“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.
“Last Thursday, our dear President, President Muhammadu Buhari returned from his much-publicised visit to the United States of America. A visit which has proven to be anything but successful, yet another miscarried cosmetic intervention to hide government’s inefficiency and inability to face the real business of governance…
“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 worrisome indication of crass ineptitude in the handling of international affairs on the part of the present administration.
“We urge the APC-led administration to settle down, put its acts together and get determined, without further excuse, to face the fight against insurgency with every sense of seriousness especially given President Buhari’s promise in his April 2, 2015 CNN interview to end the scourge two months after his inauguration, which is by the end of this month.”
“Recall that when it assumed office, this administration raised the issue of empty treasury only for the nation to learn few days later from the Accountant General of the Federation that about $2.1 billion was left in the Excess Crude Account (ECA). When the PDP demanded credit for the ECA savings, the nation was suddenly made aware of huge sums from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas dividends from which the APC-led Federal Government announced financial bailout for states.
“It is interesting to note that whereas the Presidency has gone ahead to unilaterally deplete the funds without recourse to appropriate statutory arms of government, state governors are on air announcing that they have not received any form of bailout whatsoever from the centre, raising serious questions on the handling of national resources.
“This is more so as we have information that the Presidency acting alone, has gone into discussions with the World Bank for a loan of $2.1 billion for purposes unknown to Nigerians. 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 $2.1 billion loan is meant to pay back huge contributions for the APC Presidential campaign expenses? 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.
“We are worried that the ineptitude, avoidable inactivity, lack of policy direction and absence of ministers to coordinate government affairs have left the nation’s economy sour with continued slide in the naira which has fallen from under N200 to the dollar in May to an all time low of N240, in addition to the excruciating loss in the capital market which has lost over N1.1 trillion in the last two months.
“With the recent display of insensitivity in deciding that ministers would be appointed in September, a reneging on the earlier promise to unfold a cabinet two weeks after inauguration, Nigerians should brace up for more economic loses ahead, a development which spells doom for the gains earlier achieved by the PDP administration in growing our economy to the biggest in Africa and one of the fastest growing in the world.
“Indeed, Nigerians are no longer in doubt that they have been scammed with long list of empty promises. This government has failed to articulate any policy direction in any sector. What we see is a smart attempt at cosmetic governance, loud propaganda and artful move to appropriate the achievements made by the PDP-led administration; such as the effort in ending polio, the improvement in power supply which is a dividend from numerous investments by the previous administrations, the return of the railways among others.
“The only achievements and change brought by the APC government are the curbing of the fundamental human rights of citizens; engaging in selective application of war against corruption, interfering in the activities of the National Assembly and eroding the independence of INEC. The order of the day has become the crass victimization and harassment of officials of the immediate past administration.”
Opposes INEC boss retention
The party also picked holes in the retention of Mrs. Amina Zakari as Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Claiming that Mrs. Zakari’s tenure as a member of the commission elapsed on July 21, 2015, it said: “We restate that as long as Mrs. Zakari remains in the commission, it should not be considered as independent and we will not accept any attempt to manipulate the results of the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa, which are known PDP strongholds.”
It challenged the APC government to make realities its promise of providing monthly N5, 000 stipend, allowances to the discharged but unemployed Youth Corps members, free meals for school children, 100 million jobs, additional four million new homes, and bringing the naira to the same value with the dollar among other promises for which they were voted for.”
