The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday told the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that it should rethink its strategies of returning to power in 2019.
The ruling party said deliberate falsehood will not help the PDP attain its mission.
According to APC, Nigerians are not gullible and can differentiate between a party that brought the country to where it is today and the party clearing the rot and rebuilding the country.
Reacting to a statement credited to the PDP about the President Muhammadu Buhari’s request to borrow about $5.5 billion loan, the APC in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the PDP must wake up to new realities that the days of borrowing to pay salaries and fund bogus projects are long gone.
It reminded the PDP that the loan being requested by the President was to fund specific projects that will boast the nation’s infrastructural growth, adding that the loan is meant to be used to fund the budget deficit in the 2017 budget.
The statement reads: “In reacting to the PDP recent statement on the plan by the President Muhammadu Buhari administration to obtain a $5.5 billion foreign loan, the APC urges the PDP to wake up to new realities that the days of borrowing to pay salaries and fund bogus projects are long gone.
“In developing economies, governments typically resort to borrowing to finance economic development projects because taxation and other revenue streams may not necessarily provide sufficient funds for economic development.
“The recent borrowing plans proposed by the President Buhari administration is no different as the President has clearly stated in his request to the National Assembly that the loan will be used to finance the 2017 budget deficit and invest in critical and verifiable infrastructure project, which will ultimately grow the economy.
“The PDP in its statement unapologetically claimed that it ‘meritoriously’ governed the country for 16 years and ‘handed over a buoyant economy to the APC in 2015’. Really, what could be further from the truth? The APC considers the claim a new height of PDP’s insensitivity to the populace and has further exposed the PDP as a party unrepentant for the rot it left the country after its 16 years rule.
“Even when crude sold above $100, the immediate-past PDP-led administration struggled to build savings. In addition, the excess crude account was misspent. Poor capital expenditure meant badly-needed infrastructural development was put on hold. This forced construction companies with government contracts to cut back and sack thousands of workers.
“Nigerians will sadly recall how in the lead up to President Buhari’s assumption of office, former Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of Economy Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in May 2015, revealed that Nigeria was borrowing to pay government salaries.”
The statement added: “The former minister had said that ‘Out of the N882 billion budgetary provision for borrowing, the government has borrowed 473 billion naira to meet up with recurrent expenditure, including salaries and overheads’.
“On April 2016, Okonjo-Iweala, who served as finance minister under President Olusegun Obasanjo between 2003 and 2006 and again under President Goodluck Jonathan between 2011 and 2015, also blamed the country’s present economic situation on the zero political will of the immediate past government to save for the rainy day.”
“Today, successive national budgets of the APC administration has prioritised and increased budgetary allocation for capital projects as one of the strategic ways to stimulate economic growth in the country.
“The economy has started responding to policy initiatives of the government as evidenced in the improvement and stability of the naira exchange rate; increase in the country’s foreign reserves and the recent announcement by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) that the country has officially come out of recession.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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PDP is already dead. No any sensible Nigeria will vote for PDP except criminals and those who never wish Nigeria well
ReplyDeleteNever again will I vote for PDP. We are looking out for the younger generation to lead this country. Even APC is not guaranteed 2019 until the verdict on corruption in the presidency is tackled.
ReplyDeleteThe bad critics of Buhari
ReplyDelete*************************
Most critics of Buhari are; ex-convicts, people on trial, awaiting trials, some drug addicts, mentally derail persons, perpetual government thieves, surrogates of looters, half baked and incompetent senators, tribal bigots, confused citizens and many dubious elites.
These categories of people were also among the members of Nigerians who partook in campaign of calumny, assassination attempt on him, news paper advert on death wish and they never voted for him.
Ironically, they have constituted themselves into nuisance demanding from the president to perform miracles using unthinkable barometers to measure his performance.
These people lack conscience and are much morally deceptive and bankrupt.
They were at it again during the health trial of the number one citizen.
Many were on night vigils in order to see him dead. Many in cults were deceived to even pronounce him dead, while some prophets of doom did announce him Dead.
A sitting governor publicly took an oath and made a pledge that if Buhari come back alive he will commit suicide. All those imbeciles have eaten their vomits.
Baba is hale and hearty! The many wrongs are facing adequate attentions. The python dance has sent some miscreants into hiding, ethnic bigots are changing slogans from secession to restructuring and to true federalism.
The president had spoken, restructure but let's go through the right channel. Most importantly the society must be delivered from blackmail, Buhari is more than committed to see Nigeria reformed, redeemed and changed to the level of global arena among the comity of civilised Nations.
May God help Baba Buhari.
Aameen