The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari
\nof scamming Nigerians with \u201ca list of empty campaign promises.\u201d<\/p>\n
The party also accused the Buhari administration of taking the glory for
\nthe achievements of the PDP government in the past 16 years.<\/p>\n
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday, Olisa Metuh, spokesman
\nof the PDP, advised Nigerians to brace up for more hard times under
\nPresident Buhari.<\/p>\n
\u201cSince the President has insisted on running his government \u200eas a
\nsole administrator, making important decisions on national affairs without
\nrecourse to relevant statutory arms and organs of government, we are
\ncompelled to demand that this administration come out clear on its
\nexpenses since assumption of office in May in keeping with its much harped
\nstance on transparency,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe make this demand because since the APC took office, the nation\u2019s
\nfinancial system in the absence of statutory functionaries has been
\nenmeshed in confusion, controversy and fertile atmosphere for financial
\nsleazes. Recall that when it assumed office, this administration raised
\nthe issue of empty treasury only for the nation to learn few days later
\nfrom the Accountant General of the Federation that about $2.1 billion was
\nleft in the Excess Crude Account (ECA).<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the PDP demanded credit for the ECA savings, the nation was suddenly
\nmade aware of huge sums from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas dividends
\nfrom which the APC-led Federal Government announced financial bailout for
\nstates. It is interesting to note that whereas the Presidency has gone
\nahead to unilaterally deplete the funds without recourse to appropriate
\nstatutory arms of government, state governors are on air announcing that
\nthey have not received any form of bailout whatsoever from the centre,
\nraising serious questions on the handling of national resources.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is more so as we have information that the Presidency, acting alone,
\nhas gone into discussions with the World Bank for a loan of $2.1 billion
\nfor purposes unknown to Nigerians. What is the loan for? What are the
\nterms and who are those working the papers? Who are the people to decide
\non how the money will be spent? Is it true that the $2.1 billion loan is
\nmeant to pay back huge contributions for the APC Presidential campaign
\nexpenses? If truly this government is transparent, it should come out
\nclear on this loan as well as publicize details of its expenditure in the
\nlast two months. \u201cWe are worried that the ineptitude, avoidable
\ninactivity, lack of policy direction and absence of ministers to
\ncoordinate government affairs have left the nation\u2019s economy sour with
\ncontinued slide in the naira which has fallen from under N200 to the
\ndollar in May to an all-time low of N240, in addition to the excruciating
\nloss in the capital market which has lost over N1.1 trillion in the last
\ntwo months.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith the recent display of insensitivity in deciding that ministers would
\nbe appointed in September, a reneging on the earlier promise to unfold a
\ncabinet two weeks after inauguration, Nigerians should brace up for more
\neconomic loses ahead, a development which spells doom for the gains
\nearlier achieved by the PDP administration in growing our economy to the
\nbiggest in Africa and one of the fastest-growing in the world.<\/p>\n
\u201cIndeed, Nigerians are no longer in doubt that they have been scammed with
\nlong list of empty promises. This government has failed to articulate any
\npolicy direction in any sector. What we see is a smart attempt at cosmetic
\ngovernance, loud propaganda and artful move to appropriate the
\nachievements made by the PDP-led administration; such as the effort in
\nending polio, the improvement in power supply which is a dividend from
\nnumerous investments by the previous administrations, the return of the
\nrailways among others.\u201d<\/p>\n
The PDP said the only achievements and change brought by the APC
\ngovernment were the curbing of the fundamental human rights of citizens,
\nengaging in selective application of war against corruption, interfering
\nin the activities of the national assembly and eroding the independence of
\nINEC.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe order of the day has become the crass victimization and harassment of
\nofficials of the immediate past administration. The recent organized
\npublic humiliation of the immediate past First Lady and wife of the former
\nPresident, Dame Patience Jonathan at the Port Harcourt airport where she
\nwas refused access to the protocol lounge based on \u2018order from Abuja\u2019 is a
\nparticular case in point. We stress this case because when the immediate
\npast President was in power, all former Presidents and their spouses had
\nunhindered access to the protocol lounge.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile we note that this development has been widely condemned by
\nNigerians, we ask if the former President erred in conceding defeat. Is
\nthe Federal Government by any means encouraging a sit-tight attitude by
\ngovernment officials? Moreover, we have been watching with keen interest
\nthe unfolding scenario in INEC where the Presidency has been making every
\neffort to rewrite the constitution and the law with the singular aim to
\nperpetuate Mrs. Amina Zakari as Chairman in spite of her relationship and
\ncloseness to key APC leaders.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are also aware of the position of the law and that Mrs. Zakari\u2019s
\ntenure as a member of the commission elapsed on July 21, 2015. We restate
\nthat as long as Mrs Zakari remains in the commission, it should not be
\nconsidered as independent and we will not accept any attempt to manipulate
\nthe results of the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa,
\nwhich are known PDP strongholds.<\/p>\n
\u201cFinally, we state in clear terms that for the APC, it is a matter of so
\nfar, bad change. So far, bad change that the government has failed to
\narticulate any clear policy direction with attendant avoidable confusion
\nand economic downturn; so far, bad change that our dear nation is
\ngradually sliding into a banana republic were the fundamental rights of
\nthe citizens are being trampled upon and where security agencies have
\nbecome compromised instruments of oppression in the hands of the ruling
\nparty.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo far, bad change that INEC has now lost its independence and the
\nrespect it commanded among electoral stakeholders for fact of nepotism in
\nappointment of its Chairman; so far, bad change that the National
\nAssembly, the very citadel of our democracy has fallen under siege by a
\ngovernment which seeks to appropriate its leadership and erode its
\nconstitutional independence.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo far, bad change that the government has reneged on many of its
\npromises to the people and now seeks to hoodwink them with lies,
\npropaganda and governance orchestrations. So far, bad change that the
\npeople now have to live with the reality that the government had no
\nintention of providing monthly N5, 000 stipend, allowances to the
\ndischarged but unemployed Youth Corps members, free meals for school
\nchildren, 100 million jobs, additional 4 million new homes, and bringing
\nthe naira to the same value with the dollar among other promises for which
\nthey were voted for.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a responsible political party that has sustained democracy in the last
\n16 years, we are in good position to understand the growing frustration
\nand agitation among the people. However, we appreciate the sense of calm
\nby the citizens especially bearing in mind that this confusion called the
\nAPC will end in the next four years.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Muhammadu Buhari of scamming Nigerians with \u201ca list of empty campaign promises.\u201d The party also accused the Buhari administration of taking the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38757,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40769","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive"],"yoast_head":"\n