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| Minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohamed |
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has reacted to a press conference addressed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, describing it as another anthology of lies, false and bogus performance claims by the failed and rudderless All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
The party in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, said Nigerians enjoyed life during the successive administration of the PDP than the hell they are into today under the APC administration, saying that they are ready and eager to return to the proverbial Egypt in 2023 contrary to the Minister's claim.
The statement reads, "The hurried press conference is another desperate and disoriented stunt by the APC administration to divert public attention from the exposed corruption records of the APC national leadership as well as the manifest collapse of security, command and control structure under President Buhari.
"The APC administration in its arrogance in failure attempted again to downplay and treat with levity, the excruciating economic hardship, hunger and other life discounting experiences being faced by Nigerians daily because of severe food crisis, lingering fuel emergency, high cost of essential commodities and services, closure of schools, insecurity and mass killing, collapse of healthcare system and decayed public infrastructure under its watch.
"It is the height of impunity and arrogance that the Minister of Information and Culture, could address the media to claim that the APC government has achieved food sufficiency, particularly in rice production, when in reality, there is famine in the land with the price of food items, especially rice soaring by over 400 percent under the APC with its “pyramid of lies”
"A bag of rice which sold for N7,500 under the PDP now sells for over N30,000, a measure of bean which sold for N350 under the PDP now sells for over N1000, a measure of garri which sold for N120 under the PDP now sells for N700, a bottle of palm oil which sold for N250 under the PDP now sells for over N1000.
"In the same vein, a kilo of meat which sold for N700 under the PDP now sells for N3000, a liter of petrol which sold for N87 under the PDP now sells for as high as N400 to N500 while a liter of diesel which sold for N110 under the PDP now sells for over N800, yet Lai Mohammed provocatively claims that Nigerians are better off under the APC.
"Nigerians know better and the question to ask is, Is your life better now in 2022 under the APC than it was in 2015 under the PDP?
"It is ludicrous and insensitive that the APC government went to the media to list non-existence roads, bridges, agricultural and health projects as achievements. More pathetic is the APC’s attempt to claim credit for development projects initiated and implemented by successive PDP administrations including in our railways, aviation, agricultural, healthcare, education, telecommunications, banking and manufacturing sectors among others.
"It is laughable that the APC government is also claiming credit for critical projects in various parts of the country which are being funded by resources mobilized by the PDP administrations under the framework of counterpart funding from International Partners and bodies.
"The only legitimate achievements of the APC government include its corruption record (second most corrupt in West Africa and 154 out of 180 in Global Corruption Index), over 33 percent unemployment rate, a weakened currency at over N500 to a dollar, N33 trillion foreign debt and still counting and the siphoning of over N16 trillion by APC leaders.
"The PDP cautions the APC to note that its continued arrogance in failure is daily confronting and reminding Nigerians of the statement made by one of its founding members, the late Prince Tony Momoh in April 2016 and the consequences are better imagined.
Lai Mohammed had said that will never return to Egypt by returning PDP to power in 2023.
His words, ”We are not under any illusion that they will stop their misrepresentation. No, because in their desperation to return to complete their demolition work on Nigeria, these folks will stop at nothing to paint us bad.
”But the good news is that Nigerians remain traumatised by their 16-year misrule, and will not return to ‘Egypt’ by allowing the ‘demolition gang’ back to office. In the meantime, let them present their 16-year stewardship in all the areas we have listed above and let Nigerians judge.”