Anayo Ude
The PDP Governors Forum says it is alarmed that the implications of the present value of over N500 to a Dollar is lost on the APC led Federal Government.
In a statement signed by Hon CID Maduabum, its Director General, to what it described as “low quality response” from the Presidential Villa to its “weighty” communique at the end of its regular meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state, the Governors said “the implication of the fall of the Naira for cost of goods and services, including the price of food and basic needs of Nigerians is becoming unbearable for the average Nigerian” but “those ensconced in the Presidential villa do not feel it”
According to the PDP Governors the abysmal fall in value of the Naira “has made even the recent minimum wage increases almost useless” and concludes that if the Villa response “represents the thinking of the APC Federal Government, then we are in more trouble than we think”
The statement described Villa’s response to its suggestions for ending the bloody herders – farmers clash in the country as illogical.
“Calling the legitimate request for ramping up ranching as a denial of the right of Nigerians to live and work anywhere in Nigeria, is perhaps the most illogical of the entire response” the statement said
“Perhaps the most insensitive is on the issue of Twitter suspension. How can a presidential spokesman be so tone deaf? He is unable to see the grave assault of Freedom of speech embodied therein. He doesn’t see the need to motivate our youths. He trivialises serious matters of state. It is very unfortunate”
On the claim by the Villa that it had made unsupported efforts to make the Local Government a true 3rd tier of government, the PDP Governors clarified “the President has not initiated a single legislation or amendment of the Constitution to make it a real third tier of Government, if the APC government so desires.
So far, they said “he only flexes muscles with State Governments by issuing unconstitutional Orders through Federal Government Agencies
“There is no doubt that President Buhari’s spokespersons are his greatest undoing as a President. They do not represent or position him well” the statement said.
Describing its Uyo meeting as a watershed meeting and its communique “patriotic, well thought out and offered solutions to the myriad of problems facing the nation” the PDP Governors concludes “Mr President and the APC led Federal Government should listen.”
