Tinubu’s national broadcast another round of false promises

Forty-eight hours after a nationwide broadcast by President Bola Tinubu, on the state of affairs in the country and steps his administration is taking to resolve the challenges, the Peoples Democratic Party has described the address as a list of false promises made to deceive Nigerians.

Recall that The PUNCH reported on Monday, that the main opposition party promised to react formally to President Tinubu’s speech on Tuesday.

Addressing journalists at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja, the spokesman for the PDP, Debo Ologunagba, said Tinubu dashed the hope of Nigerians with his “staged address in feeble defense of his badly planned and hurriedly-executed policies that have worsened economic hardship and uncertainty across the country in the last two months.”

According to him, the PDP is appalled that the address is another litany of false promises hurriedly put together by his handlers in the desperate bid to hoodwink and beguile Nigerians, blackmail labour fronts and divert public attention from the life-discounting experiences imposed by the APC government. 

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“Such antics and play on the psychology of Nigerians with propaganda and empty promises are consistent with the deceptive trajectory of the APC since its emergence in 2014.

“We invite Nigerians to note that a comprehensive review of the speech shows that it is merely aspirational, meant only to mesmerise the citizens as it is completely bereft of any concrete plans to tackle the energy crisis, production issues, monetary challenges and worsening insecurity in our country.

“The PDP holds that Senator Tinubu’s speech is a horrifying  reminder of APC’s bogus promises under him as national leader in 2015 which include promised 3 million jobs per year; making naira equal in value to the US dollar; provision of small business loan guarantee scheme to create at least 5 million new jobs by 2019; provision of allowances to discharged but unemployed youth corps members for 12 months; creation of a social welfare programme of at least N5,000 for 25 million poorest and most vulnerable citizens; establishment of N300 billion Regional Growth Fund; imaginary improvement in our agricultural produce with phantom pyramid of rice which turned out to be “pyramid of lies” among other myriads of counterfeit promises.”

“Nigerians are aware that the APC, with Senator Tinubu as national leader, never fulfilled any of these promises, but rather remained unaccountable and turned our once prosperous nation to the poverty capital of the world where over 100 million citizens cannot afford their daily meals and other basic necessities of life.

“What then is the value of Tinubu’s new promises of N75 billion for new jobs in 2024; N125 billion to SMEs; N50,000 each to 1,300 nano business and cultivation of 750,000 hectares of land for food, all without concrete policy and implementation plan, and which at best are openings for corrupt patronage and siphoning of public funds?” he continued

The PDP spokesman further slammed the President for failing to come up with a plan to encourage local refining of crude oil for the use of Nigerians.

“It is instructive to observe from the speech, that the APC has no marshal plan to stimulate domestic crude refining as an answer to the crippling energy and manufacturing deficits in the country, instead the APC has committed our nation to the mercies of foreign interests and market forces. 

“The submission in the speech that there are no other ways but for Nigerians to suffer hardship and high costs further exposes APCs’ scandalous cluelessness, lack of capacity and deficiency of innovative ideas to effectively steady and manage a nation like Nigeria. 

“It also shows APC’s insensitivity to the suffering of Nigerians and lackadaisical approach to serious issues of governance. It is like the case of you take it or leave it! The APC should know that there is frustration in society in the face of its apparent lack of ideas and leadership focus.

“It is therefore preposterous and a mockery of leadership that instead of stimulating domestic production of CNG-fueled and alternative transportation system, the APC is planning to spend a whooping N100 billion to acquire 3000 units of 20-seater buses for over 120 million Nigerians who rely on public transportation.

“This will amount to 3 units of 20-seater buses for an average of 100,000 public transport commuters in each of the 774 Local Government Areas across the country.  This shows that the APC is completely disconnected from reality and lacks the capacity to manage a country as complex as Nigeria. 

“It is pertinent to observe that the speech had no provision for riverine and coastal transportation as well as haulage which is the mainstay and driver of Nigeria’s trade, commerce, agriculture and industrial sectors.

“Moreover, it is heartrending that Senator Tinubu’s speech had no words of assurance on security which is the primary duty of the government. There are no words for victims of escalated mindless killings, abduction and marauding in various parts of the country, especially in the last two months. This shows an unpardonable disconnection and lack of empathy to the plight of Nigerians.”