PDP Shattered Nigeria’s Economy—Igbo Group

A public enlightenment group based in Southeast Nigeria, the Southeast for Positive Change and Enlightenment Team SEPCET, has said the People’s Democratic Party (PDP)-led federal government for 16 years destroyed the nation’s economy.

Speaking to a coalition of progressive minded youths from across the five states of the southeast Nigeria, in Owerri on Saturday, the leader of the group, Hon Emeka Amadi said: ‘’ PDP looted and mismanaged the economy of Nigeria. You can all see that 1 dollar is almost equal to 320 of the Nigerian naira. When PDP took over power in 1999, 1 dollar was between N60 and N65.

"They destroyed the economy of Nigeria to the extent that, after 16 years, upon the ridiculous amount of tax payers money that was thrown into power generation, maintenance of power facilities and privatization, PDP was still unable to leave a legacy of constant power supply to Nigerians and give the southeast states light. And upon the darkness they provided, they still used their might to extort Nigerians by collecting what they called fixed charges from very poor Nigerians.

‘’Because they couldn’t fix and put our refineries to optimal use, in other to produce enough petroleum products that will compliment imported products, in order to meet up the high demand of the products, especially now that the present economic realities and the anti-corruption stance of the present administration cannot afford the luxury of sharing our collective earning to few members of a cabal in the oil industry that have milked this country dry through subsidy payment, we are now faced with fuel scarcity.

Because they looted, squandered, depleted and shared our excess crude and foreign reserve and couldn’t save during the nation’s time of abundance, the present APC led federal government is finding it difficult to pay salaries, arrears of pensions, as well as, settle down for governance.

‘’Today the entire southeast cannot say this is what they benefitted or gained from the PDP for 16 years and because the APC led federal government is working to rebuild Nigeria and the southeast, they are very afraid and have gone back to their drawing board to devise strategies of weakening the ruling party through malicious propaganda and blackmail.

‘’ when I see PDP members on the social media, wearing their toga of corruption and abusing the less than one year administration of President Buhari, as well as, Governor Okorocha, the former Speaker of the state Assembly and other members of the APC, but fails to spend some seconds to say what PDP has done for Ndi Igbo in their 16 year reign, I laugh.

‘’When was the last time we heard that a church was bombed in North or that an Igbo market or park was attacked and our people killed. Look around the southeast to observe that several construction projects initiated by the APC led government are ongoing and this is what is given PDP sleepless nights because they don’t want their sin to be revealed to the people.

Before APC provided good learning environments and made education free in Imo state and other APC states, PDP asked students to pay exorbitant school fees without roofs, chairs and desk to learn with, today if you are in school or have two or three children in school and you do not pay school fees for any them, is it not extra savings?

‘’So when they are trying to divert attention from the real issues, you should checkmate them. Now that the budget has been signed and is waiting for the assent of Mr. President, let us occupy our energy with the sensitization of our people about the positive attribute of the President Buhari’s led administration, especially now that the administration has promised to fix our refineries and find a lasting solution to the lingering fuel scarcity problem in Nigeria, build our economy and make sure salaries and pensions comes as at when due.

‘’Let us also support this government because of its plan to resuscitate one health centre In every electoral ward in the southeast region, the construction of the second Niger bridge and several road, amongst others, as there are many things to be done because the damage done by the PDP cannot be repaired in just one year.’’