By Debo Ologunagba
Yesterday evening, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) dashed the hope of Nigerians, and especially his now disillusioned supporters with his staged address in feeble defence of his badly planned and hurriedly-executed polices that have worsened economic hardship and uncertainty across the country in the last two months.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) berates the recourse to such vacuous, illusory and showy mal-administration which further revealed lack of leadership ingenuity and focus in the management of the affairs of the nation.
The PDP is appalled that the address is another litany of false promises hurriedly put together by his handlers in the desperate bid to hoodwink and beguile Nigerians, blackmail Labour Fronts and divert public attention from the life-discounting experiences imposed by the APC government.
Such antics and play on the psychology of Nigerians with propaganda and empty promises are consistent with the deceptive trajectory of the APC since its emergence in 2014.
The PDP holds that Senator Tinubu’s speech is a horrifying reminder of APC’s bogus promises under him as National Leader in 2015 which include promised Three million jobs per year; Making Naira equal in value to the US Dollar; Provision of Small Business Loan Guarantee Scheme to create at least 5 million new jobs by 2019; Provision of allowances to discharged but unemployed Youth Corps members for twelve (12) months; Creation of a Social Welfare Programme of at least N5,000 for 25 million poorest and most vulnerable citizens; Establishment of N300 billion Regional Growth Fund (average of N50bn in each Geo-Political region); Imaginary improvement in our agricultural produce with phantom pyramid of rice which turned out to be “pyramid of lies” among other myriads of counterfeit promises.
Nigerians are aware that the APC, with Senator Tinubu as National Leader, never fulfilled any of these promises, but rather remained unaccountable and turned our once prosperous nation to the poverty capital of the world where over 100 million citizens cannot afford their daily meals and other basic necessities of life.
What then is the value of Senator Tinubu’s new promises of N75 billion for new jobs in 2024; N125 billion to SMEs; N50,000 each to 1,300 nano business and cultivation of 750,000 hectares of land for food, all without concrete policy and implementation plan, and which at best are openings for corrupt patronage and siphoning of public funds?
We invite Nigerians to note that a comprehensive review of the speech shows that it is merely aspirational, meant only to mesmerize the citizens as it is completely bereft of any concrete plans to tackle the energy crisis, production issues, monetary challenges and worsening insecurity in our country.
It is instructive to observe from the speech, that the APC has no marshal plan to stimulate domestic crude refining as an answer to the crippling energy and manufacturing deficits in the country, instead the APC has committed our nation to the mercies of foreign interests and market forces.
The submission in the speech that there are no other ways but for Nigerians to suffer hardship and high costs further exposes APCs scandalous cluelessness, lack of capacity and deficiency of innovative ideas to effectively steady and manage a nation like Nigeria.
It also shows APC’s insensitivity to the suffering of Nigerians and lackadaisical approach to serious issues of governance. It is like the case of you take it or leave it! The APC should know that there is frustration in the society in the face of its apparent lack of ideas and leadership focus.
Even with the removal of subsidy on petroleum products, the PDP restates that with a deft, transparent and innovative management of resources, economic potentials, national comparative advantage and expanded value chain in refining capacity, fuel should not sell for more than N150 per liter in the Country.
It is therefore preposterous and a mockery of leadership that instead of stimulating domestic production of CNG-fueled and alternative transportation system, the APC is planning to spend a whooping N100 billion to acquire 3000 units of 20-seater buses for over 120 million Nigerians who rely on public transportation.
This will amount to 3 units of 20-seater buses for an average 100,000 public transport commuters in each of the 774 Local Government Areas across the Country. This shows that the APC is completely disconnected from reality and lacks the capacity to manage a country as complex as Nigeria.
It is pertinent to observe that the speech had no provision for riverine and coastal transportation as well as haulage which in itself is the mainstay and driver of Nigeria’s trade, commerce, agriculture and industrial sectors.
Moreover, it is heartrending that Senator Tinubu’s speech had no words of assurance on security which is the primary duty of government. There are no words for victims of escalated mindless killings, abduction and marauding in various parts of the country especially in the last two months. This shows an unpardonable disconnection and lack of empathy to the plight of Nigerians.
It is worrisome that the speech had rather worsened the situation in the country with further fall in the value of the naira today and more investors losing confidence in our economy given the insincere posture, lack of direction and uncertainties created by the address.
In any case, the PDP charges Nigerians not to despair over the new challenges presented by the speech but to remain calm and continue to support one another at this perilous time while hoping in the judiciary to restore their mandate for the enthronement of a purposeful, people-oriented and effective administration that will work ONLY for the interest of the people.
Thank you for listening and God bless Nigeria.
▪︎ Hon. Ologunagba is the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP.