The presidential candidate of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the current partnerships between
Nigeria and Britain will be enhanced if he is voted into office in 2019.
The former vice president, who
said this in an article he wrote for the UK Sunday Express, said the incumbent,
President Muhammadu Buhari, has failed to strengthen the relationship between
Nigeria and its former colonial master.
The article which was published
on Sunday, a copy of which was also sent to NigerianEye outlined Mr
Abubakar’s plans to invigorate the economic and cultural links between the two
nations.
The British Prime minister,
Theresa May, in August, 2018 visited Nigeria in a bid to explore mutual
investment opportunities for both nations.
She is currently overseeing the
tumultuous ‘Brexit’, which is the impending withdrawal of the United Kingdom
from the European Union.
The move follows the referendum
of June, 23, 2016 when 51.9 per cent of those who voted supported withdrawal
from the union.
Mr Abubakar, in the piece,
defended why he would be the best bet to lead Nigeria in view of the British
government’s foreign and investment policy rather than Mr Buhari.
”I foresee a new trade
partnership between Nigeria and Britain, enhanced cooperation on security and
counter-terrorism, and deepening our historic links of culture, family and
language,” Mr Abubakar said. ”This agenda will benefit ordinary Nigerians and
Britons alike, as well as increasing mutual investment in our respective economies.”
He said President Buhari ”had his
chance but the international rankings do not lie”.
”He (Buhari) has proven himself
neither a leader who can elevate the domestic situation of the Nigerian people,
nor one who can inspire foreign investors and international partners,” he said.
”The future relationship between Britain and Nigeria can be bright and
prosperous but it requires a change of leadership in Abuja.
He fell short of saying that Mrs
May’s recent visit to Abuja recently was a wasted venture, with Mr Buhari still
in power.
”Unfortunately for Mrs May, the
government that she (May) met with led by President Muhammad Buhari cannot
deliver any of this. For Nigeria to move forward, a change is required.
”In the four years of President
Buhari’s Administration, Nigeria has regressed by almost every domestic and
international metric. We have fallen in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business
report; we have fallen in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions
Index; we have fallen in the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index.n the
past four years, India and others have sprinted ahead in the race to reduce
poverty,” he said.
He said the forthcoming elections
in February offer the opportunity for a change, which the British should
‘support’ by ensuring credible polls are conducted.
”President Buhari has promised
the international community that the elections would be free and fair, but
there is little confidence amongst Nigerians that he will stick to this
promise.
”What is needed is pressure from
the international community to ensure that Nigerians have the right to
determine their own futures, and to do so free from harassment,
vote-suppression or outright fraud. As a major funder of democracy initiatives
around the world, the U.K. has a real stake in this process.”
He also explained what an Atiku
presidency means for Britain and other nations.
”What does this all mean for
Britain, and the future relations between our nations?”, he said. ”Taken
together, my new agenda aims to increase the purchasing power of Nigerians
across our country: providing economic security, improving quality of life, reducing
poverty.
”This, in turn, provides a
platform of security and certainty for (British) investors to take advantage of
new opportunities for collaboration not just oil and a chance to work with a
government that is serious about building a prosperous Nigeria.”
More Knocks For Buhari
In the piece, Mr Abubakar made
some uncomplimentary remarks on his main opponent in the presidential polls.
”President Buhari’s track record
proves that he cannot be trusted to safeguard democracy, if left to his own devices,
he must be pushed by the international community to do the right thing.
President Buhari’s regime is tired, and a truly democratic change is needed.
That means re-establishing the rule of law, the respect for the courts, and a
crackdown on corruption.
”A real anti-corruption process
is required so that Nigerians, and foreign investors, can have confidence in
our domestic laws, not show trials perpetrated as ‘crackdowns’ on corruption,
where corrupt cronies were allowed to flourish.
”Equally, as our roads and
railways crumble, a new infrastructure programme is needed to revitalise them:
such a programme would create jobs, stimulate economic activity, and provide
long-term benefits to people across the 36 Nigerian states,” Mr Abubakar said.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com