The nation's economy was on the front burner on Sunday as President
Muhammadu Buhari declared that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led
government, under Dr Goodluck Jonathan, lied to Nigerians and the world
about the buoyancy and vibrancy of the Nigerian economy during its
tenure.
President Buhari was reacting to a statement credited to the PDP in
which the party's spokesperson,
Mr. Olisa Metuh, alleged that the
President was making harmful and unabating statements that could portend
danger for the economy, the general image of the country and scare away
investors.
Stressing that he would never stop telling Nigerians and the world the
truth about the real situation of the country, President Buhari, in a
statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity,
Mr Femi
Adesina, also noted that he would not be distracted by the likes of
Metuh.
The president explained that he would not in the guise of “marketing”
the country, refrain from telling Nigerians and the world the emerging
truths about the abject state in which years of plundering by a PDP
leadership had left the Nigerian treasury and economy.
According to him, he would not in the name of “marketing” or
“attracting” investors, follow in the footsteps of the ousted PDP
administration and its discredited officials who shamelessly lied to
Nigerians and the world about the buoyancy and vibrancy of an economy
they had bled dry for personal gain, when it was very obvious to the
discerning, that the Nigerian economy was headed for serious trouble.
He dismissed what he described as the attempts by the PDP and its
agents to distract him from the job he was elected to do, adding that
such efforts would fail.
"Buhari will remain true to the virtues of honesty, integrity,
sincerity, incorruptibility and plain-speaking which endeared him to
Nigerians and made them prefer his leadership to that of a lying and
deceptive PDP administration.
"It is most unfortunate that instead of showing some remorsefulness for
the harm done to the nation by his party, and giving genuine support
for Buhari’s efforts to salvage and revamp the national economy, Mr.
Metuh persists in a vain attempt to remain relevant on the national
stage by unjustly denigrating the President who continues to strive with
all his might to alleviate and reverse the harm done to the nation by
PDP misrule and corruption.
"Metuh’s antics are futile. Buhari cannot be distracted by a broken
record. If the PDP spokesman ever has serious matters to bring to our
attention, we will be prepared to listen," the statement further
submitted.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had in its statement said it was
drawing the attention of Nigerians to what it termed harmful, unabating
negative statements by President Muhammadu Buhari, which may have
harmful impact on the economy and the general image of the country.
The party said that it had become very worrisome that in the last six
months, the President, instead of making efforts to harness resources
and grow the economy, had rather wittingly or unwittingly continued to
paint negative image of the nation and thus scaring away investors.
It alleged that the President had done this through negative labeling of Nigerians and unwarranted unhealthy portrayal of the nation’s economy.
It alleged that the President had done this through negative labeling of Nigerians and unwarranted unhealthy portrayal of the nation’s economy.
According to Metuh, the President’s unwary statements have become very
serious clog in the wheel of progress, eroding the confidence of both
domestic and international investors in the Nigerian economic and social
system.
“In the last six months, our President has only succeeded in
discouraging foreign investors with his continued misrepresentation of
our country as a business unfriendly environment, where most of the
citizens are basically corrupt, dishonest, and cannot be trusted.
In apparent reference to the interview granted to newsmen by President
Buhari during his recent trip to India in which he spoke about
corruption in the land, PDP said the blanket negative labeling of
citizens, in a country of millions of honest and hardworking
individuals/firms, was not a pleasant commentary.
“Whereas we have restated our total support for the war against
corruption, we insist that Mr. President’s unceasing blanket negative
labeling of citizens, in a country where millions of honest and
hardworking individuals/firms are genuinely contributing daily to the
development effort, is indeed a disservice and injurious to the nation
and the people.
“Furthermore, Mr. President’s recent announcement to the world that the
nation, with its abundant human and natural resources, is broke and
cannot pay cabinet ministers not only sends a discouraging signal to the
domestic and international business community, but also exposes the
ineptitude of the present administration to meaningfully and sincerely
exert itself and work with industrious and innovative investors to
create and manage wealth.
“We ask; how can any reasonable investor still have the confidence to
invest in a country where the President himself continues to alert that
his country reeks of corrupt people and that the government is broke to
the extent it cannot pay cabinet ministers?
“Is the President not directly advising investors against having
confidence in Nigeria and the system, and that they risk not being paid
for jobs awarded by government at any level?
Continuing, Metuh asserted that “more worrisome is the fact that Mr.
President most times makes his damaging comments in international fora
with potential investors in attendance to the extent that reminds one of
the proverbial father who, in the presence of potential suitors, often
portrays his daughters as wayward and yet constantly complain of their
inability to find husbands.
“Indeed, this is not the way to go, Nigeria is a country blessed with
abundant human and natural resources. What we need at the moment is a
serious, innovative and practical approach with the capacity to harness
the resources and create wealth for the benefit of all, instead of an
apparently laidback scapegoat tactics with outworn excuses and unhelpful
comments.
“May we remind Mr. President that even in the darkest period of our
economic challenges, successive administrations made efforts in
steadying the economy, while always reassuring our citizens and the
international community of the strength and economic potentials of our
great nation.
“We know that in the desperation to cover its apparent lack of economic
plan, this administration has positioned cabinet ministers, upon
inauguration, to concentrate on diversionary blame game on the past PDP
administration.
"But even this political deceit cannot combat the unpalatable
consequences of Mr. President’s damaging utterances on the image of the
nation and its economy.
"Finally, we wish to remind the President and those around him that
Nigerians, by the 2015 elections, have committed the fate of the country
in his hands for the next four years and are not willing to accept
excuses for any economic failures under his watch," the party said.
On his part, Ekiti state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, also raised the
alarm that Nigeria was grinding to a halt with the current economic
situation noting that the statutory allocation from the federation
account is dwindling.
Fayose, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi,
in Ado-Ekiti, said "this month's statutory allocation is the worst in
the history of our state. We got a net allocation of N1.4 billion at
state level while the salary of workers is N2.6 billion monthly.
"At the local government level, the 16 council areas got a little over
N1 billion, while the wage bill there is over N2 billion monthly," he
further revealed, noting that "payment of salaries at both state and
local government levels is impossible with such allocations. And
government still have some basic needs to meet."
Recalling that he once advised the federal government to be opened on
the state of the national economy and people frowned at his suggestion,
Fayose said "a national newspaper has quoted the President as saying
that Nigeria is broke and that it might be difficult to pay ministers
that will soon come on board.
"It is vital that the Federal Government tells Nigerians the blueprint
it has for the economy. The issue at stake is beyond sheer politics.
"If the trend continues, in the next few months, all the tiers of government may not even be able to pay a month salary to workers if three statutory allocations are combined," Fayose further asserted
"If the trend continues, in the next few months, all the tiers of government may not even be able to pay a month salary to workers if three statutory allocations are combined," Fayose further asserted
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