‘Mr. President, Your Statements Are Demarketing Nigeria’ - PDP

‘Mr. President, Your Statements Are Demarketing Nigeria’ - PDP

Press statement from the PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) draws the attention of Nigerians to  the harmful consequences of the unabated negative statements from the  very father of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari, on the economy  and the general image of the country.

The party said “it is worrisome that in the last six months, the  President, instead of making efforts to harness resources and grow the  economy, has rather continued to apply himself, perhaps unwittingly, to  demarketing the nation and scaring away investors through negative  labeling of Nigerians and unwarranted unhealthy portrayal of the  nation’s economy”.

The PDP, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh on Sunday said the President’s unwary statements have become very serious clog in  the wheel of progress, eroding the confidence of both domestic and  international investors in the Nigerian economic and social system.

“In the last six months, our President has only succeeded in  discouraging foreign investors with his continued misrepresentation of  our country as a business unfriendly environment, where most of the  citizens are basically corrupt, dishonest, and cannot be trusted.

“Whereas we have restated our total support for the war against  corruption, we insist that Mr. President’s unceasing blanket negative  labeling of citizens, in a country where millions of honest and  hardworking individuals/firms are genuinely contributing daily to the  development effort, is indeed a disservice and injurious to the nation  and the people.

“Furthermore, Mr. President’s recent announcement to the world that the  nation, with its abundant human and natural resources, is broke and  cannot pay cabinet ministers not only sends a discouraging signal to the  domestic and international business community, but also exposes the  ineptitude of the present administration to meaningfully and sincerely  exert itself and work with industrious and innovative investors to  create and manage wealth.

“We ask; how can any reasonable investor still have the confidence to  invest in a country where the President himself continues to alert that  his country reeks of corrupt people and that the government is broke to  the extent it cannot pay cabinet ministers?

“Is the President not directly advising investors against having  confidence in Nigeria and the system, and that they risk not being paid  for jobs awarded by government at any level?

“More worrisome is the fact that Mr. President most times, makes his  damaging comments in international fora with potential investors in  attendance to the extent that reminds one of the proverbial father who,  in the presence of potential suitors, often portrays his daughters as  wayward and yet constantly complain of their inability to find husbands.

“Indeed, this is not the way to go, Nigeria is a country blessed with  abundant human and natural resources. What we need at the moment is a  serious, innovative and practical approach with the capacity to harness  the resources and create wealth for the benefit of all, instead of an  apparently laidback scapegoat tactics with outworn excuses and unhelpful  comments.

“May we remind Mr. President that even in the darkest period of our  economic challenges, successive administrations made efforts in  steadying the economy, while always reassuring our citizens and the  international community of the strength and economic potentials of our  great nation.

“We know that in the desperation to cover its apparent lack of economic  plan, this administration has positioned cabinet ministers, upon  inauguration to concentrate on diversionary blame game on the past PDP  administration. But even this political deceit cannot combat the  unpalatable consequences of Mr. President’s damaging utterances on the  image of the nation and its economy.

Finally, we wish to remind the President and those around him that  Nigerians, by the 2015 elections, have committed the fate of the country  in his hands for the next four years and are not willing to accept  excuses for any economic failures under his watch.

Signed:

Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary
Source: ‘Mr. President, Your Statements Are Demarketing Nigeria’ - PDP