…You presided over the near destruction of Nigeria, says Buhari
…Only the opposition is averse to what Buhari has done for Nigeria – Arewa Youth Coalition
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has reacted to a statement by President Muhammadu Buhari blaming past leaders for Nigeria’s present woes.
Buhari had in his Independence Day anniversary nationwide address singled out Peoples Democratic Party administrations beginning from Obasanjo’s in 1999 up to that of President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, of presiding over the near destruction of Nigeria.
According to the president, none of his predecessors achieved what his regime was currently achieving with the “scarce resources” available.
The president had said, “No government in the past did what we are doing with such scarce resources. We have managed to keep things going in spite of the disproportionate spending on security.
“Those in the previous governments from 1999 to 2015, who presided over the near destruction of the country, have now the impudence to attempt to criticise our efforts. In the circumstances, a responsible government must face realities and take tough decisions.”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, the late President Umaru Yar’adua, and former President Goodluck Jonathan were in charge of the country during the period referenced by Buhari.
The president had said, “No government in the past did what we are doing with such scarce resources. We have managed to keep things going in spite of the disproportionate spending on security.
“Those in the previous governments from 1999 to 2015, who presided over the near destruction of the country, have now the impudence to attempt to criticise our efforts. In the circumstances, a responsible government must face realities and take tough decisions.”
In an apparent response to Buhari, Atiku defended economic decisions taken by the President Olusegun Obasanjo-led administration in which he served as a Vice President.
In a tweet on his verified Twitter handle, @atiku, on Friday, the former Vice President wrote, “Between 1999 and 2007, Nigeria paid off her entire foreign debt while maintaining an unprecedented six per cent annual GDP growth.
“Those were periods of national restoration, and I am very proud of the work President Obasanjo and I did for this nation we care so much for. Facts don’t lie.”
Meanwhile, the Arewa Youth Coalition has thrown its weight behind President Buhari and urged all political parties, organizations, and others opposed to the President not to distract him in his quest to remedy the rot he inherited from past administrations.
Leader of the group, Mukhtar Muhammad, stated this in a chat with newsmen in Kaduna.
“There is no doubt that President Muhammadu Buhari has perform commendably when compared to the rot he met upon assumption of office in 2015.
“Only the opposition is averse to what Buhari has done for Nigeria,” he said.
Mukhtar Muhammad also deplored what he described as the “antics of sectional agitators who are calling for breakaway,” adding that their aim is to bring about confusion and disorder ahead of 2023.
According to him, “Nigerians will come to appreciate Buhari as a timely interventionist only after he has left office.”
