The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government led by President Muhammadu Buhari of falsely taking credits for achievements of the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
PDP in a scathing statement released through its National Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh, claimed credits for providing sufficient arms for the military resulting in its recent gains in the anti-insurgency war, revival of national refineries as well as the polio free situation in Nigeria. “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.”
PDP reeled out its achievements allegedly appropriated by the APC government: “It is an obvious fact that before the May 29 handover 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 recover 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 turnaround 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,” the party claimed.
The opposition party argued that instead of taking credits for PDP achievements, 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”.
“It was 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”.
Rather than 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,” PDP urged.
The party further criticized Buhari for governing the country almost three months without a cabinet and policy direction.
“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,” the party said.
PDP further raised fresh alarm that the absence of ministers is creating leeway for stealing of public funds, among others: “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.
It adds: “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.”
By Olisemeka Obeche
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