How Nigerians are paying for the sins of PDP’s wasteful 16 years
Editor’s note: The coming to power of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was expected to bring a turnaround to Nigeria’s economy but Nigerians have already started to complain about the current situation.
In this opinion by Joe Igbokwe, he points out that Nigeria is reaping the fruit planted by the Peoples Democratic Party and should be held responsible.
What Buhari met
A good friend of mine Ugo Chikezie wrote that people who do critical thinking will tell you that the Nigeria we are living in today was actually designed yesterday, therefore if we do not want to live in this kind of Nigeria again tomorrow, we must begin now to plan for tomorrow so that tomorrow will not take us by surprise. What my friend is saying is that the foundation we laid yesterday is what we are reaping today, and we are reaping it bountifully.
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In that past 16years PDP laid the foundation of what we are reaping today. Look at yesterday’s headlines on The Nation Newspaper; $15 Billion Arms Deals: Reports Indicts ex-Military Chiefs, for The Punch Newspaper; EFCC Seizes 29 properties from ex-Air Force Chiefs and The Guardian, NEITI, EFCC Go After Oil Firms Over Unremitted $11 billion.
By the time President Buhari took over our four major refineries lie in ruins, our power generation capacity was not up to 5000MW and today the Niger Delta Avengers have reduced it to less than a 1000MW. Our Universities, Hospitals, Transportation systems, Airports, Roads, Seaports, The Military, Security systems etc suffered serious setback and decay. This is the foundation PDP Government laid in 16years, and this is what we are reaping today.
PDP Chiefs, their cronies, their friends, girlfriends and hangers on managed Nigeria for 16years and all we hear today is missing billions, houses and mansions in United States, London, Canada, Dubai, Panama, West Indies, South Africa etc. Their shameless supporters tell us that PDP leaders cannot be subjected to probes only but APC leaders too. Now APC members did not join them in sharing the booty for 16years. They did not appoint APC members as Ministers, DGs, Ambassadors, CEOs, Boards of parastatals etc. APC members did not share in their billions. APC members were never in NIMASA, NNPC, PORTS AUTHORITY, IMMIGRATION, FIRS etc. APC members never got involved in PDP campaign funds, they never got involved in Arms deal, subsidy scam, and Budget padding. It was strictly a PDP affair.
Now their hardline supporters are talking. At Covenant University Ota, Ogun State on Friday June 24 Professor Jerry Gana as a Guest Speaker told the capacity audience that APC made mistakes and that is why they are failing. Dr Femi Aribisola insists APC government is not fighting corruption. At St Barths Aguda at a 50th birthday ceremony of a friend’s wife Professor Asaju a Bishop of Anglican Church said APC leaders are clueless and has no idea on what to do. This is a government where Buhari, former President, former Governor, former Minister of Petroluem, former Chairman PTF is the President. A government where Professor Osinbajo is the Vice President. A government where Fashola, Fayemi, Amaechi, Ngige, Audu Ogbe, Kemi Adeosun, Lai Mohammed, Godwin Emefiele, Asiwaju BAT, Governor Ambode of Lagos etc are critical stakeholders. Can PDP be right? No they are liars from the pit of hell. Now, have you been to Tin Can Island Port and Apapa Port recently to see the rot PDP left in 16years; Seaports that fetched them trillions of naira in 16years? This is the foundation they laid in 16years.
What the PDP has done
Today in Ibeju Lekki Lagos with $17 billion Alhaji Dangote is building one of the biggest Refineries in the world, a fertilizer plant, a power plant capable of generating 12,000MW of electricity and petrochemical that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs. Imagine what PDP chieftains would have done with billions of dollars that accrued from crude oil sales in 16years. Imagine what Deziani’s billions of dollars would have done for Nigeria. Imagine what Arms deal dollars would have done for Nigeria. Imagine what the billions of dollars they invested in Deal Estate all over the world would have done for Nigeria. Consider what President Jonathan and wife’s billions of dollars would have done for Nigeria. Consider what their cronies stolen billions would have done for Nigeria. Consider what Jide Omokore and Kola Aluko billions of dollars would have done for Nigeria.
Former president-Goolduck-Jonathan
At Dubai Airport, their smart and smooth talkers lay siege on Nigerian travelers offering them mouth-watering estates to buy because they know Nigerian leaders and their penchant for foreign assets. Two of such men blocked me and my family in 2012 for nearly an hour telling us about investment and all that. They invited us to an evening at Dubai Tallest building and gave me free sim card to call them for further talks. When all the attempts to get us failed, he came to our hotel to angrily collect back the sim card.
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Shameless PDP supporters are still angry. They are still abusing the President and APC Chieftains for losing an election they were bound to lose. Today PDP is in shreds and totally finished. The foundation of yesterday laid by PDP has become the pains of today. The diehards in PDP and their agents with deep culture of corruption and impunity can never give up but the reality is dawning on them on a daily basis. There is no place to hide.
But there is hope for Nigeria. APC will never go the way of PDP. APC will lay the solid foundation for a better and greater tomorrow. This is a promise.
This opinion was written by Joe Igbokwe
This opinion first appeared in Sahara Reporters.
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