Stop The Blame Game – Obasanjo Blasts Buhari
SAN FRANCISCO, November 23, (THEWILL) – Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to stop blaming the hardship in the country on the 16year rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) saying it was uncharitable, fussy and uninstructive.
Speaking at a public lecture in Lagos on Wednesday at the first Akintola Williams annual lecture, Obasanjo declared that the president should realise that the people voted him into power because they expected him to deliver change saying if things had been rosy, there would be no need to vote change.
“The blanket adverse comments or castigation of all democratic administrations from 1999 by the present administration is uncharitable, fussy and uninstructive,” he said.
“Politics apart, I strongly believe that there is a distinction between the three previous administrations that it would be unfair to lump them all together. I understand President Buhari's frustration on the state of the economy inherited by him.
“It was the same reason and situation that brought about cry for change, otherwise there would be no need for change if it was all nice and rosy.
“Now that we have had change because the actors and the situation needed to be changed, let us move forward to have progress through a comprehensive economic policy and programme that is intellectually, strategically and philosophically based.
“It is easier to win an election than to right the wrongs of a badly fouled situation. When you are outside, what you see and know are nothing compared with the reality.
“Once you are on seat, you have to clear the mess and put the nation on the path of rectitude, development and progress, leaving no group or section out of your plan, programme and policy and efforts.
“The longer it takes, the more intractable the problem may become. It is normally the responsibility of government to mobilise the citizenry for all hands on deck to ensure good governance and accountability. All men and women of goodwill in Nigeria must be part of the exercise.
“The fundamentals to achieving such a situation are justice, fairness, equity, popular participation and equal opportunity. In the last seven to eight years, we have slipped back on these fundamentals. The result is that our country is today more factionised than we were ten years ago.
“For the purpose of nation building, it is not a satisfactory situation to be in especially when we need all hands on deck to work and walk our way out of recession. Open government must be seen and made to work as partnership in which all have a stake and an interest.”
Story by Oputah David