By Dayo Omoogun
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and some others who it referred to as
“the political actors who midwife and institutionalised the national rot” were ill-qualified to chart the way forward for the country
The party stated this in a press statement titled “Political Actors That Midwifed National Rot Cannot Chart Way Forward” which it issued on Sunday.
“It is baffling that the same political actors that midwifed and institutionalised the national rot, corruption, impunity and eroding of our value systems are the same characters posing as voices on the way forward in our national life. How ironic!
“Former President Olusegun Obasanjo could start with telling us where the electricity is despite $16billion he spent on the power sector. Obasanjo’s deputy, Alh. Atiku Abubakar should account for the privatisation exercise under his watch which saw national assets sold off to friends and cronies with no benefit to the country. Successive Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administrations can also start by accounting for the trillions stolen from our national coffers in the guise of a fraudulent fuel subsidy regime.
The party, in the statement signed by the Deputy National Secretary, Yekini Nabena, said while it does not begrudge such persons their right to freedom of speech, the government of the day is busy walking its talk in delivering people-centric development.
“While it is well within the rights of these political actors to write skewed letters, spew empty, hypocritical, tongue-in-cheek and two-faced economic magic models in line with their Dubai meeting strategies, this administration is walking the talk with verifiable projects and people-centred interventions that is uplifting Nigerians.
These political actors probably only listen to their own voices because Nigerians have long stopped taking them seriously as they simply lack the antecedents and moral credentials to guide Nigeria and Nigerians to the path of prosperity and progress.
The party said there has been a departure from the politics of “do or die”, the culture of impunity, corruption and abandoned projects which according to it characterized the Obasanjo and PDP years in office.
“Instead of the “do or die” lingo Obasanjo and the PDP introduced to our electioneering, votes are beginning to count as our elections improves steadily. Their abandoned projects which constituted drainpipes on national resources are being completed by this administration. The brazen culture of impunity and corruption which they institutionalised is being replaced by strong and accountable systems.
“The culture of round tripping and the rested subsidy regime in the petroleum sector has been replaced by a deregulated and accountable petroleum pricing template. Instead of plotting how to sell of national assets, particularly the NNPC to friends, this administration is reforming public sector operations to ensure optimised service delivery.
“We are gradually eating what we grow. Our national emergency health response has earned global accolades and recognition as displayed by our COVID-19 response. Our defence capacity to respond and contain emerging security challenges is now tested and proven. How did Nigeria achieve this? A strong, people-centred and focussed leadership which the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration provides.
It will be recalled that the former President had at a public function on Friday castigated the Buhari administration saying that Nigeria is exhibiting the signs of a failing state and that the government of the day had widened the fault lines of differences among the diverse peoples.
“Today, Nigeria is fast drifting to a failed and badly divided state, economically our country is becoming a basket case and poverty capital of the world and socially, we are firming up as an unwholesome and insecure country
“And these manifestations are the products of recent mismanagement of diversity and socio-economic development of our country.
“Old fault lines that were disappearing have opened up in greater fissures and with drums of hatred, disintegration and separation and accompanying choruses being heard loud and clear almost every where”, the former President added.
His speech titled, “Moving Nigeria Away from Tipping Over” was delivered at a consultative meeting where socio cultural groups such as Afenifere, Middle Belt Forum, Ohaneze Ndigbo, Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and Northern Elders Forum were in attendance.