The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has counseled the All Progressives
Congress (APC) to always be sincere and stop appropriating the
achievements of past administration as theirs.
The party said, instead, the APC and President Muhammadu Buhari should
make haste and activate the various economic outlets which have been
stagnated as a result of their obvious inability to articulate a
clear-cut economic policy for the nation.
PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh in a statement on
Monday said it is disappointing that a government which came to power on
claims of high moral ground, rather than focusing on delivering its
promises, is dancing around the achievements of the previous government
in an attempt to make the public believe that recorded successes in
critical sectors are theirs.
“For instance, how do we explain APC’s spirited effort to make the
public believe that the equipping of the country’s military for the
fights against insurgency; the turn-around of the nation’s oil
refineries; and the polio-free certification of Nigeria were products of
their government even when it is common knowledge that they have not
been able to find their bearing for governance since their election into
office.
“If the former National Security Adviser (NSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki had
not been courageous enough to release those incontrovertible facts that
the Goodluck Jonathan-led PDP administration actually fortified the
country’s military before leaving office in May, the APC would have
succeeded in its propaganda against that administration and led
Nigerians to believe that the equipping was a product of President
Buhari’s recent diplomatic shuttles.
“It is an obvious fact that before the May 29handover to the APC, the
Nigerian armed forces, using these equipment sourced under the watch of
the PDP government, had already pushed the insurgents to the verge of
surrender in the Sambisa forest, only for them to now resurge under the
APC-led government due to apparent lack of direction and confusion that
have characterized this administration.
“In the same way, this government has positioned itself to claim credit
for the turn around and resuscitation of some of the nation’s oil
refineries without reference to the past administration that initiated
and executed the Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the facilities years
back, which dividends the nation now enjoys and which we expect will
result in steady supply of petroleum products in our nation.
“Similarly, informed Nigerians note with dismay how the APC
administration has been celebrating the certification of Nigeria as
polio-free in the last one year by the World Health Organization (WHO)
without giving credit to the PDP-led government under whose watch the
feat was achieved.
“While the PDP well understands the nervousness of the APC and its
government in the challenge of fulfilling their bogus promises upon
which they rode to power, such does not in any way rationalise the
resort to deceit and flagrant appropriation of another’s achievements, a
thing no serious, credible and honest government will do”.
The PDP said instead of trying to poach achievements to earn an
undeserved praise, the APC and its government should brace up,
articulate a precise economic policy, assemble an economic team and
urgently commence the delivery of their promises for which they were
voted.
The party said it finds it unacceptable, notwithstanding the reasons
being adduced, for a government in a democratic setting to run for
almost three months without a cabinet and any policy direction
whatsoever.
“This is the first time since independence that our nation has stayed
without a complete composition of government for three months.
Unfortunately, the negative effect of this anomaly, which has taken a
huge toll on the country’s economy and the welfare of Nigerians, will be
with us in the coming years.
“We express this concern against the backdrop of information that
unpatriotic persons close to government are already hounding civil
servants for inflated concessions, allocations, jobs and other favours
being unduly granted, making the system fertile for heavy financial
sleazes in the absence of appropriate statutory supervising officers.
“This is in addition to the avoidable economic downturn now manifesting
in the abandonment of ongoing infrastructural projects, crippling of
foreign and domestic investments and continued slide in the money and
capital markets.
“Finally, we want to reiterate our earlier call on Nigerians to continue
to pray for President Muhammadu Buhari, who for obvious reasons is
surrounded by people whose divergent personal interests have become a
huge burden on our dear nation, the integrity of this government, the
health of our economy and sustenance of our democracy”.
