The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has hailed the call from the former World’s Richest Man, Bill Gates, that President Muhammadu Buhari’s re-think Federal Government economic recovery plan.
The Party in describing Gates comment as “verdict” on Buhari’s economic policies further said Nigerians will be more disposed to vote against the All Progressives Congress (APC) and in 2019.
Gates, the Co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, faulted Federal Government’s Economic Recovery And Growth Plan (ERGP).
Addressing stakeholders at the special session of the National Economic Council (NEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Gates stressed the need for the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to take a second look at the National Economic Plan in terms of its priorities for human capacity development.
He said the ERGP, which must reflect the people’s needs, should also give priority to human capital development over physical capital as it is designed currently.
Osinbajo responded to his calls, saying that investing in people was a primary aspect of the current administration’s Economic Recovery Growth Plan.
But the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement on Friday, accused President Buhari and the APC of misrule.
The statement read in part: “The PDP noted that Gates was just being polite to his host, President Buhari, when he said the policy of his government is not reflecting the needs of the people.
“What Gates did not tell President Buhari and his team was that their administration is so incompetent, disorganised and confused that it could not develop any functional economic policy direction and that this has caused our nation her current economic woes.
“Bill Gates comments on the Federal Government’s empty, deceptive and discredited Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), right in the Presidential Villa and in the presence of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, came to President Buhari and the APC as stunt gone awry as they had planned to use the world figure to earn an undue international endorsement ahead of 2019 elections.
“More disheartening is that instead of being remorseful, officials of the APC administration, including Prof. Osinbajo, are attempting to put up a lame defence, despite the indicting facts”.
Ologbondiyan went further to blame President Buhari’s policies for the country’s poor health indices as highlighted by the billionaire.
” The whole world is sad that under President Buhari and the APC, our dear nation, which was hitherto one of the most vibrant economies, has now become one of the most dangerous places to give birth, with the fourth worst maternal mortality rate in the world.
“This administration, in the last three years, has not been able to initiate any functional policy on health, education, housing, agriculture, electricity, industrial growth, effective economic empowerment and gainful employment, or any deliberate plan to grow a sustainable middle class in the country.
“Instead, what Nigerians get is a sinking economy resulting from anti-people policies; multiple taxations, increased tariffs on essential commodities and services, increase in food prices, fuel price hike, huge foreign debts, a weakened currency and massive job loss while APC interests continue to fritter away trillions of naira for their selfish gains”, the statement further read.
Be the first to comment