Jonathan Nwokpor
On Tuesday, the Federal Government announced that governors who were elected on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform owed Nigerians an explanation on whether or not they had increased funding for their constituents.
This is despite the government, led by the All Progressives Congress (APC), maintaining that the country’s economy is still robust and able to pay its debts to domestic and foreign lenders.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, announced this on Tuesday in a statement. He stated that the government is operating efficiently and is able to pay all of its expenses while keeping a positive trade balance with trading partners across the globe.
The federal government’s response follows a statement by the PDP governors urging the APC-led federal government to step up and deal with the nation’s escalating economic suffering before it gets out of control.
The governors stated that the nation’s economic and security issues were the cause of the current suffering that Nigerians are going through.
“The forum consequently urges the federal government to, as a matter of urgency, embark on initiatives involving all the sub-national governments to bring a lasting solution to the crises,” said the chairman of the PDP Governors Forum, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State.
In response, Idris said that the federal government supported their request for a bipartisan strategy to address the security and economic issues facing the country.
However, he berated them, saying: “The PDP governors did not conduct themselves in a manner befitting their roles as leaders in the country who are members of two important constitutional organs of government, the National Economic Council, which is the highest economic management organ of the country, and the National Council of States.”
The minister charged that the PDP governors had made a naughty and inaccurate comparison between the country’s present economic woes and Venezuela’s.
While political play by opposition politicians was to be expected, he insisted that it should stay within the confines of truth and faithfulness to the facts, saying that it was unacceptable for PDP governors to distort the truth about the genuine status of Nigeria and mislead the people about it.
The statement partly reads: “Governors elected on the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) platform met yesterday in Abuja and addressed a press conference, where their chairman, Governor Bala Mohammed, read out their position on the country’s economic and security situation.
“We welcome their call for a bipartisan approach to solving our nation’s economic and security problems. As critical stakeholders and leaders at the sub-national level, the PDP governors certainly have the right to state their position on national concerns, as is expected.
“The Nigerian economy is still very strong and is expected to record 3 per cent GDP growth this year. The economy is meeting financial obligations to lenders at home and abroad.
“The Nigerian government is running effectively, and our government can pay all its bills while maintaining a healthy trade balance with trading partners worldwide.
“While opposition politicians are expected to play politics, it should be done within the bounds of truth and fidelity to facts. It is unconscionable for PDP governors to manipulate facts and misinform Nigerians about our country’s true state of affairs.
“Nigerians should ask PDP governors how far and how well they have utilised the increased revenue to better the lives of Nigerians in their respective states.
“It is on record that most states controlled by PDP owe workers and pensioners months of unpaid salary and pension arrears. The PDP governors have defaulted in paying gratuities to their retired workers. It is also a fact that many of the PDP governors have not paid N30,000 minimum wage to their workers since it took effect more than four years ago. All of these anomalies in their states contribute significantly to the economic pressure their citizens face.
“If PDP governors are genuinely interested in the living conditions of Nigerians and are not just stirring up disaffection and ill-will towards the federal government, we urge them to meet their obligations to workers, pensioners, and local contractors and see the multiplier effect.
“It is disappointing that PDP governors talk about rising costs of living and food when they have not done much to increase food production in their states. The land in Nigeria belongs to the states, not the Federal Government.”
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