It is baffling that the same political actors that midwife and institutionalized the national rot, corruption, impunity, and eroding of our value systems are the same characters posing as voices on the way forward in our national life. How ironic!
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo could start by telling us where the electricity is despite the $16billion he spent on the power sector. Obasanjo’s deputy, Alh. Atiku Abubakar should account for the privatization exercise under his watch which saw national assets sold off to friends and cronies with no benefit to the country. Successive Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) administrations can also start by accounting for the trillions stolen from our national coffers in the guise of a fraudulent fuel subsidy regime.
While it is well within the rights of these political actors to write skewed letters, spew empty, hypocritical, tongue-in-cheek, and two-faced economic magic models in line with their Dubai meeting strategies, this administration is walking the talk with verifiable projects and people-centered interventions that is uplifting Nigerians.
These political actors probably only listen to their own voices because Nigerians have long stopped taking them seriously as they simply lack the antecedents and moral credentials to guide Nigeria and Nigerians to the path of prosperity and progress.
Instead of the “do or die” lingo Obasanjo and the PDP introduced to our electioneering, votes are beginning to count as our elections improve steadily. Their abandoned projects which constituted drainpipes on national resources are being completed by this administration. The brazen culture of impunity and corruption which they institutionalized is being replaced by strong and accountable systems. The culture of roundtripping and the rested subsidy regime in the petroleum sector has been replaced by a deregulated and accountable petroleum pricing template. Instead of plotting how to sell national assets, particularly the NNPC to friends, this administration is reforming public sector operations to ensure optimized service delivery.
We are gradually eating what we grow. Our national emergency health response has earned global accolades and recognition as displayed by our COVID-19 response. Our defense capacity to respond and contain emerging security challenges is now tested and proven. How did Nigeria achieve this? A strong, people-centered, and focussed leadership which the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration provides.
Genuine patriots, reputable groups, and organizations who are making honest contributions on the deregulation of electricity and petrol prices already see the decision as inevitable and the way to go.
As it stands, Nigeria will save as much as one trillion nairas ($2.6 billion) following the deregulation of the petroleum sector, the Petroleum Minister of State Timipre Sylva has stated.
Nigerians trust that the freed-up cash will be accounted for and be judiciously invested to develop other critical areas such as infrastructure, health care, education among others.
SIGNED:
Yekini Nabena
Deputy National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
ADMIN
