THE Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State, Mr Gboyega Oguntuase, has said the economic recession currently ravaging the nation and the resurgent of the Niger-Delta Militants are enough pointers to the failure of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government.
Oguntuase said Buhari has failed to live up to the bidding of his electioneering campaign to invigorate the economy and secure the country, saying the All Progressives Congress-led federal government has disappointed Nigerians in these two critical areas and should be booted out in 2019.
Oguntuase, who made the statement on Monday in, ado-Ekiti said it is worrisome that the prices of food have gone up astronomically to the extent many Nigerians are now going to bed with empty stomachs.
The PDP Chief added that the stumbling of currency value, which now stands at N316 and N420 at the official and parallel markets respectively, would have been abated, but for Buhari’s alleged recalcitrant posture stop welcome constructive criticisms and good suggestions of the opposition party.
“With what we are witnessing today, it is evidently clear that President Buhari and APC have no economic programme for Nigerians. The APC bad policies and non-listening nature caused the current economic recession.
“It is no longer news that the naira has stumbled to N420 per dollar. The petrol that was sold for N87 under Dr Goodluck Jonathan is now N145 per litre. Under APC government, prices of foods have gone up to the extent that people are dying in their numbers.
“Apart from increase in transport fare across Nigeria, air fare from Nigeria to London has increased from N250,000 to N400,000 while Nigeria to USA has increased from N350,000 to N600,000 and that is what is affecting the aviation industry.
“As we speak now, the economy is taking a catastrophic shape and Nigeria is under tension and suffocating economic situation which requires people of patriotic minds , who believe in the survival of this country to come together to restore our glory”.
Oguntuase hinged the springing of militancy in the Southeast and South south regions of the country to Buhari’s bad policies, urging the APC government to study the amnesty programme of the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua to be able to resolve the matter, rather than resorting to coercion.
“The change Buhari’s government promised us has only manifested negatively in the rampaging herdsmen killing innocent Nigerians and the Niger Delta Avengers in the south south blowing up pipelines and the Independent People of Biafra(IPOB) crying for secession.
“I expect President Buhari to have been diplomatic enough like the late President Yar’Adua to resolve the Niger Delta Militancy. We are losing millions of dollars daily due to militancy in the Niger Delta region. Apart from this violent crisis, the IPOB is also crying for secession.
“Prior to the 2015 elections, President Buhari promised to wipe out Boko Haram in less than three months, but today, the insurgents are still killing people in Adamawa, Borno and other Northeast states. If this is not accepted, let President Buhari presented to Nigerians the abducted Chjibok girls, whom he promised to retrieve from their captors in less than three months he assumes office.
“All these crises accounted for the economic problem we are facing in Nigeria and I can boldly say that Buhari’s approach in solving economic and security problems facing Nigeria is antiquated”, he said.
