Minister Idris
…Tinubu’ll not resign —Minister
The Federal Government has called on governors elected on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to face governance and concentrate on the job they were elected to do rather than playing to the gallery.
Recall that PDP governors had weekend asked the APC-controlled Federal Government to quit power if it was overwhelmed by challenges facing the country.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, who spoke for government in a statement yesterday, described the PDP governors’ call as nothing but an attempt at distraction by people who should instead be busy supporting the President’s efforts at bringing economic relief to the Nigerian people.
The statement read: ”It is our considered view that the PDP and its Governors should not be seeking, through the back door of intimidation, what they have consistently failed to achieve by democratic means, since 2015.“
‘Those who could not bring transformational change when they had a lengthy chance to, should not seek to interrupt or distract those who are busy at work on the presidential vision that Nigerians elected them to implement.“
‘The administration of President Bola Tinubu has also, since inception, generously extended financial support to all the State Governments, regardless of partisan affiliation. In addition, the removal of the petrol subsidy—which, incidentally, was one of the main planks of the PDP presidential campaign—has swelled the revenues of all States, including the PDP States. To whom more has been given, more is therefore expected.
”The President and his administration recognise the unfinished business of revamping our national economy kick-started by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, through programmes focused on large-scale infrastructure, social welfare, prioritizing the equipping and welfare of the military and security agencies, and reclaiming Nigeria’s strategic place in the comity of nations.
”Boko Haram and its affiliates, on the ascendancy in 2014/2015, have since been decimated, and similar bold gains are now being made with bandits and other criminals.
”Nigerians have not forgotten that it was the APC administration that cleared several liabilities left behind by the PDP government, such as subsidy claims by oil marketers, Paris Club Refunds, unpaid pensions, gratuities, and salary arrears owed various categories of pensioners from liquidated and existing state-owned enterprises.
”Major oil sector reforms that the PDP touted for years but could not deliver – passage of the PIB, new refineries, as well as the revamp of existing ones, and so on – are the very real and continuing legacies of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
Also, the ruling All Progressives Congress APC yesterday accused Governors elected on the platform of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party PDP as idle and viciously complicit spectators in the economic affairs of the nation, challenging them to resign their offices for failing in the shared responsibility of providing succour to Nigerians.
The party’s Publicity directorate, Felix Morka was reacting to calls by the PDP governors asking President Bola Tinubu to throw in the towel in the wake of the increasing cost of living in the country.
“Basking in willful blindness to their constitutional responsibilities, governors elected on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in a statement, yesterday, advised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ‘throw in the towel’ if he can’t govern Nigeria anymore. This noxious executive flippancy has now become a badge of identity for these idle but viciously complicit spectators in the affairs of their states and citizens.
“A federal system like ours operates on the idea of shared, constitutionally delineated responsibilities among the three tiers of government – federal, state and local governments. Effective governance requires collaboration and coordination among all three levels to deliver the promise of democracy to all citizens. By virtue of their membership of the National Economic Council and National Council of State, governors bear a solemn duty, where possible, to proffer constructive ideas or solutions to the challenges of governance of our nation”, APC said.
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