The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday, took a swipe at
President Muhammadu Buhari, over what it described as the harmful
consequences of his alleged negative statements on the economy and the
general image of the country.
The PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief
Olisa Metuh said the President’s unwary statements have become
very serious clog in the wheel of progress, eroding the confidence of
both domestic and international investors in the Nigerian economic and
social system.
The party said: “It is worrisome that in the last six months,
the President, instead of making efforts to harness resources and grow
the economy, has rather continued to apply himself, perhaps unwittingly,
to demarketing the nation and scaring away investors through
negative labeling of Nigerians and unwarranted unhealthy portrayal of
the nation’s economy.”
“In the last six months, our President has only succeeded
in discouraging foreign investors with his continued misrepresentation
of our country as a business unfriendly environment, where most of
the citizens are basically corrupt, dishonest, and cannot be trusted.
“Whereas we have restated our total support for the war
against corruption, we insist that Mr. President’s unceasing blanket
negative labeling of citizens, in a country where millions of honest
and hardworking individuals/firms are genuinely contributing daily to
the development effort, is indeed a disservice and injurious to the
nation and the people.
“Furthermore, Mr. President’s recent announcement to the world that
the nation, with its abundant human and natural resources, is broke
and cannot pay cabinet ministers not only sends a discouraging signal to
the domestic and international business community, but also exposes
the ineptitude of the present administration to meaningfully and
sincerely exert itself and work with industrious and innovative
investors to create and manage wealth.
“We ask; how can any reasonable investor still have the confidence
to invest in a country where the President himself continues to alert
that his country reeks of corrupt people and that the government is
broke to the extent it cannot pay cabinet ministers?
“Is the President not directly advising investors against
having confidence in Nigeria and the system, and that they risk not
being paid for jobs awarded by government at any level?
“More worrisome is the fact that Mr. President most times, makes
his damaging comments in international fora with potential investors
in attendance to the extent that reminds one of the proverbial father
who, in the presence of potential suitors, often portrays his daughters
as wayward and yet constantly complain of their inability to find
husbands.
“Indeed, this is not the way to go, Nigeria is a country blessed
with abundant human and natural resources. What we need at the moment is
a serious, innovative and practical approach with the capacity to
harness the resources and create wealth for the benefit of all, instead
of an apparently laidback scapegoat tactics with outworn excuses and
unhelpful comments.
“May we remind Mr. President that even in the darkest period of
our economic challenges, successive administrations made efforts
in steadying the economy, while always reassuring our citizens and
the international community of the strength and economic potentials of
our great nation.
“We know that in the desperation to cover its apparent lack of
economic plan, this administration has positioned cabinet ministers,
upon inauguration to concentrate on diversionary blame game on the past
PDP administration. But even this political deceit cannot combat
the unpalatable consequences of Mr. President’s damaging utterances on
the image of the nation and its economy.
“Finally, we wish to remind the President and those around him
that Nigerians, by the 2015 elections, have committed the fate of the
country in his hands for the next four years and are not willing to
accept excuses for any economic failures under his watch,” the PDP said.
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