FG decries opposition’s downplaying of Buhari’s achievements

Federal Government has faulted the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, for saying that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has done nothing for Nigerians in the last eight years.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said this at the 7th edition of the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023).

The series was launched in October to showcase achievements of the current administration. Before now, six ministers had presented their scorecards, including Ministers of Works and Housing, Transportation, Aviation, Interior, Agriculture and Rural Development, as well as Finance, Budget and National Planning.

Mohammed decried “increasing tendency by some opposition presidential candidates to downplay the achievements of Buhari administration,” saying: “The worst offender, in this regard, has been the presidential candidate of the PDP, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.”

He frowned on a recent statement during Atiku’s campaign in Akure, Ondo State, where the candidate was quoted to have said APC had not done anything for Nigeria in eight years. According to the minister, this was a preposterous statement from somebody who should know.
“I guess we can excuse the former Vice President, who until recently, had fully relocated to Dubai, thus, losing touch with Nigeria,” Mohammed said, adding that if anyone could accuse the APC-led Federal Government of doing nothing, it should not be Atiku Abubakar.
According to the minister, throughout the PDP years, there was no motorable road to Atiku’s hometown and key local councils in his senatorial district, until APC came into office.

“Today, the Mayo Belwa-Jada-Ganye-Toungo road has been constructed fully and it is the road that Atiku Abubakar uses to get to his hometown of Jada,” the minister said.

Mohammed insisted that before APC came into office, the five councils in Adamawa’s northern senatorial district were under the control of Boko Haram terrorists. He said even the police, the judiciary, schools, hospitals and markets were sacked.
He noted: “Traditional rulers, including emirs and chiefs, were displaced, while their palaces were taken over by the terrorists as headquarters.

“The affected five local councils in the northern senatorial zone, include Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South and Little Gombi. In the central senatorial zone, two local councils were effectively under the control of Boko Haram terrorists. These two local councils in the central senatorial zone are Maiha and Hong.

“Today, not an inch of these councils in Adamawa, the home state of the former Vice President, is under the control of terrorists. All institutions of state have relocated back and are operational. All emirs and chiefs have returned to their palaces.
“Schools and markets have opened. Please, note that throughout that period, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar could not even go home. As a matter of fact, when one of his right hand men, Mr. Adila, was killed by the terrorists, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar could not even go to condole with the family of the deceased. It was that bad.”

The minister urged the PDP candidate to commend Buhari for making it easy for him to travel to his hometown.
He added: “Now that he can travel home freely, thanks to the Buhari administration, it is not sweet in his mouth to accuse the same administration of doing nothing. As they say, ‘the bed wetter should not join those who are insulting the washer man’.”