...Says there’s nothing to celebrate By –
The Peoples Democratic Party National Caretaker Committee has taken a
swipe at the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration as it marks two
years in office tomorrow. In a statement signed by the National Publicity
Secretary, Prince Dayo Adeyeye, the party said the APC had in the past two
years squandered the opportunity given it by Nigerians even as it accused the
ruling party of crass ineptitude. L-R: National Caretaker Committee Chairman of
PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, Governor Nyesom Wike & Former president,
Goodluck Jonathan at the Rivers Golden Jubilee Anniversary Lecture in Port
Harcourt “Tomorrow May 29, 2017 marks another ‘Democracy Day’ and two years
that our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) bequeathed democratic
governance to the Current Administration of the All Progressive Congress (APC);
which it has already squandered given its intolerance and highhandedness to any
form of opposition, as well as crass ineptitude in governance. We make bold to
state that our deepest concern as a Party to grow democracy in Nigeria
engendered the solid foundation we put in place and guaranteed the agreeable
atmosphere that enabled oppositions to thrive and consequently won elections.
Unfortunately, this same Party, the APC that benefited from free access to
political space has left no stone unturned in suppressing the PDP and denying
it to provide credible opposition in the Country. It is Ironic! “For the
Record, Democracy Day in Nigeria is heralded by the PDP as a day set aside to
celebrate the enforcement of the rights of citizens to freely elect their
leaders through regular elections and the need to equally promote other
democratic principles, as demonstrated through a peaceful change in political
leadership of the Country after 16 years of uninterrupted governance by the
PDP. Yes as a Nation, we may not have enjoyed total democracy but it is sad to
note that the current somber atmosphere of the APC suggests bleak 2019
elections outing. God forbid! “As Nigerians mark the 2nd Anniversary (Mid-term,
May 2015 to May 2017) of the APC in power, it is important to once again
briefly remind us of the State of Affairs in the Nation as it has plunged the
vast majority of the people into this 2 years of despondency, ambiguity,
repressed and depressed condition and still ongoing. We would have simply
wished Nigerians happy celebrations but there is nothing to celebrate from this
APC Government which represents confusion in its entirety. A Government that
formed its Cabinet within 6 months of assumption of office, jokes with the
Country’s Annual Budget, led the Africa’s No. 1 Economy into depression, put in
place an ambiguous Economic Plan after 2 years in power, and the list is
endless,” the statement reads in part. Taking a cursory look at the stewardship
of President Buhari so far, the PDP said the government has failed across some
sectors of the economy. The statement added: “Consequently, we consider it apt
to recount some of the failures of this APC led Government of President Buhari
in different sectors of the Nigeria’s Economy and our national life, such as:
(A) CORRUPTION Beginning with the issue of corruption in this discussion is
critical in line with the APC/President Buhari’s ‘Change Agenda’ and ‘hype in
corruption chase’ which has left sour taste given the dishonesty and charade
that has characterized the actions of this government so far. For the record,
‘corruption’ is endemic in our system since the Military era and using it to
weep citizens’ sentiments is absurd while playing ignorant of honest
achievements made by PDP governments to combat this alarming menace. The
question is what has the APC done to fight corruption? Nothing! Yes indeed
nothing except noise, hounding, torturing, flouting of court orders and
vilification of opposition leaders and members in and out of
courts/incarcerations without proving anything; harassments, intimidation,
indiscriminate arrests and detention of Judges in order to cow them to
desecrate the Judiciary and deny the people justice; promote Gestapo State and
by extension, kill democracy. On the much celebrated anti-corruption fight of
the APC therefore, it must be noted that it was previous PDP governments that
created and sustained all the institutions for fighting corruption such as the
EFCC and the ICPC. Under the PDP administrations most of those who were tried
by these agencies were PDP members. The PDP never made any effort to shield PDP
members from prosecution and investigation as is the case with the APC
Government which has made it a policy to sweep all the dirt of its members
under the Carpet. Instead of entrenching transparency and accountability in
governance processes, the APC’s recent ‘Whistle Blowing Policy’ for instance,
appears to be a mockery of the system given the reprehensible and comic actions
so far under it by finding “orphaned monies” in all nooks and cranny of the
Country by the EFCC. Electoral process – Nigerians and the international
community have lost confidence in INEC under the APC by not allowing it to
perform its statutory functions without interference as an unbiased umpire but
instead, functions as its department which was evident in the negative conduct of
gubernatorial elections in Edo, Ondo and Bayelsa states and other subsequent
elections where it demonstrated loss of integrity and independence. The
Judiciary –We know that the public will agree with us that that the PDP left a
stronger Judiciary which the APC is discrediting with impunity as it flouts
court orders at will. (B) THE ECONOMY Investment – Record show that Nigeria
became the favoured investors’ destination in Africa with the highest
investment of $8.4 billion USD; and it attracted $20 billion USD worth of
foreign investments in 3 years. But two years into the APC’s governance, as a
result of incompetence and President Buhari’s de-marketing of Nigeria while
globetrotting; investors (both local & foreign) have withdrawn their monies
from the System thereby creating economic inactivity and consequent depression
that we are being faced with alarming rate of suicide. No doubt, economic
activities and an enabling environment is the basic response to recession but
experience and requisite skills are alien to the APC in this regard. Petrol
Subsidy Removal – It is on record that the APC wailed against subsidy removal
and due to PDP’s Government sensitivity to the people, Petrol Pump Price was
then reduced to N87 which the APC under few months of assumption of office
jacked to N145. It is high time Nigerians demanded for the proceeds of this
insensitive action with no palliative measures. Let us again remind the APC
that the US Dollar under the PDP Government was 190 Naira to 1 US Dollar but
today, the difference is there for everyone to see. The 18,000 Naira minimum
wage could buy 2 bags of rice then with a balance in the PDP led government but
today, price of food items and other commodities increased by more than 100%
with static income; and instead of $1 to equal N1 as promised, it’s changing
for almost N400. Every other promise made is equally not fulfilled. For
instance, the retail price of cement was N1,750 before but in the two years of
APC led administration, it equally skyrocketed to N2,700. Nigerians have never
been this hungry in their entire lives as seen in the last two years except
during the Civil War. The Federal Government under the PDP created 500,000 jobs
per annum for our teeming unemployed youths. Since the APC led administration
took over, more than 4.5 million people have lost their jobs instead. (C)
SECURITY The security situation in the country today has worsened with the
rampaging herdsmen’s attacks killing innocent and harmless people unabated and
sacking communities. The scourge of herdsmen attack across the country under
the APC is more than the activities of Boko Haram in the North East. The
efforts of the PDP in fighting Boko Haram activities still speaks volume of its
sensitivity towards preservation of citizens’ lives and properties; and if the
APC had maintained the success achieved during the 2015 elections in the
North-East region, the deadly group wouldn’t have regrouped. It is also on
record that it was the same weapons bought by previous PDP administration that
the present government is still using to prosecute the war on insurgency in the
Northeast. Against this backdrop and more, it’s obvious therefore that there is
nothing to celebrate as we mark Democracy Day on the 29th of May, 2017 given
that we are counting loses of previous achievements recorded and none to show
case by this APC led Administration in the last two years. For instance, the
PDP handed over to the APC, a Nigeria that is the Africa No. 1 Economy with GDP
of $546.70 billion USD and a single digit Inflation Rate of 8.5% but sadly, our
GDP under the APC contracted by 0.52% with double digit Inflation Rate of
14.75%. Nigeria’s debt burden has also increased to $57.39 Billion as at
February 2017 according to the Debt Management Office (DMO). The APC led government
with this suffocating debt burden is still borrowing and plunging the country
and citizens unborn into more indebtedness. Finally, the PDP led by Senator
Ahmed Makarfi, CON on behalf of the entire Organs and PDP family and supporters
nationwide, wish Nigerians Happy Democracy Day and call on all the citizens to
continue praying for the full restoration of President Buhari’s health and his
safe return to the country. We also urge the Acting President, Professor Yemi
Osinbajo to assent to the 2017 National Budget as a matter of urgency and see
to its successful implementation in order to reduce the sufferings of the
people.”
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