– APC National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has urged Nigerians to pray never to have a PDP government again
– According to Oyegun, PDP did their best to destroy Nigeria during their 16-year rule
– He also insisted that the APC knew of the extent of the damage before assuming power
While speaking with reporters in Abuja, APC National Chairman Chief John Odigie-Oyegun spoke extensively on what he called the damage the PDP did to Nigeria and its economy during their 16 years of rule.
Oyegun went further to explain that the APC actually knew what was ahead of it, when President Buhari assumed power contrary to what a cross-section of Nigerians believe.
He said Nigerians need to commend the APC-led Federal Government for doing everything humanly possible to sustain the economy and save it from total collapse.
Oyegun with other APC members at a rally. File photo
The national chairman said only those gifted with the power of prophesy would have known the actual situation of the economy, saying the PDP government should bury their heads in shame for battering the economy.
According to The Nation, below is his statement:
“No, we didn’t under rate it neither did you nor anyone else, unless those with the gift of prophesy. None could have known what was coming; if I ask you to describe the situation in 2015, I am sure you won’t have added that the crude oil market was going to collapse. Did you foresee that?
“We knew we were going to take over a battered economy, but we were glad that oil was still coming at 2.5 million barrels a day, we were glad that prices were still hovering around a $100/b occasionally.
READ ALSO: I want to be president of Nigeria – Donald Duke
“During the years of PDP, it was going between $100 to $120 a barrel and we took over a totally ravaged economy and we were prepared for that because we also thought since we didn’t have the gift of prophesy that Nigeria will continue to be blessed with oil resources, 2.5 million barrels sometime three million at $80 a barrel, sometimes 100 dollars a barrel, we were ready to get the nation moving quickly.
“When we took over, as if that wasn’t enough with a battered economy, the very next week or two, crude market collapsed at a stage that the price of production of a barrel and the price we were getting from the world market was almost the same; about thirty something dollars a barrel.
“I am a trained economist, I am a development economist. You should look at the reality; forget the hunger, there is hunger in the land but you should wonder why this country didn’t collapse with virtually no income, no foreign exchange; nothing.
“And we are still here today, that is the reality and it has nothing to do with incompetence. We had no revenues, we had no foreign exchange, and we were an economy that exists to function. I know the pain we went through to allow the price of petrol to go up.
“For a long time when we came, if you could remember the news was still on and off, but there was no other solution than to let go, you can’t continue that regime of subsidy which was one of the things that almost bankrupted this nation.
“We had to bring in the Treasury Single Account, had to make sure every kobo was accounted for, had to go abroad and the press started telling everyone that he lives in an aircraft from one capital to another to draw up resources to keep the nation afloat.
“Then came the recession and in a situation like that was inevitable, we had to spend to get out of recession; we had no savings.
READ ALSO: OPINION: How Buhari deceived Nigerians to vote for him but failed to fulfill his promises
“Honestly, if you people want to do this country a favour, you should tell anybody who was a main person in PDP that they ought to hang their heads in shame and you should pray that we never have a government again like what the PDP did to this country.
“The signs were there, they fought over oil blocks endlessly. Nobody ever thought that this resource is one that will finish one day, nobody ever thought giving those 16 years of PDP rule that every day they were talking of renewable energy resources they were planning no longer to be dependent on this war-ravaged areas for their own industrial fuelling.
“Our government for 16 years just kept importing petrol, export crude, sending away ship load of crude that was not accounted for, individual appropriating the money that belonged to me and you; to the nation. So please be a little bit softer, kinder and look at the details of how we got to where we are today.
“I am not going to abuse PDP or anybody, but this is the reality, this is the truth of how this country is where it is today and we are labouring, the president is labouring now to diversity the country. It is a foundation that totally cracked and collapsed.”
Meanwhile, the APC has said it will wait for President Muhammadu Buhari to return from his medical trip abroad before holding its national convention.
PAY ATTENTION: Watch more videos on ZENITHBLOG.com TV
The party said contrary to an agreement by the APC governors and the national working committee of the party , Osinbajo will not have the privilege of representing Buhari at the convention.
Watch this ZENITHBLOG.com video of Olusegun Obasanjo speaking on the state of the nation:
‘);
});
}(window, document);
0naze
No comments:
Post a Comment