THE Presidency has criticised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governors’ Forum for refusing to propose solutions to the nation’s challenges in the face of Covid-19 and the global economic downturn.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, who stated this in statement in Abuja, last night, said the governors instead of proffering solutions to the nation’s challenges, “grasp for more money and mourn their lack of access to social media to spread falsehoods and hate.”
The Presidency was responding to a communiqué issued by the governors at the end of their Monday’s meeting in Uyo, Akwa Ibom.
The PDP governors had condemned the alleged mismanagement of some government agencies including the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under President Muhammadu Buhari’s watch.
Shehu said: “The PDP Governors’ Forum communiqué was a spectacular demonstration to the people of Nigeria as to why this party and its representatives should not be entrusted with the national leadership of our country any time soon.
“In bemoaning the decision by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) not to make contributions to the Federation Account, the governors appear to believe NNPC can spend the same money twice: once on the petroleum subsidy – which they all support – and then on their states via the Federation Account.
”NNPC is a trustee for the nation – and this means it must manage its finances with prudence and for the long-term to safeguard the financial support it bestows on our country.
“What the governors are asking NNPC is to ‘break the bank’ for their own profligate political ends.
“Similar profligacy and contradiction are in full view with their call to the Central Bank to appreciate the value of the Naira.
“This will damage exports (including oil revenues on which NNPC depends) as well as damage small businesses and employment.”
The presidential aide insisted that an appreciated currency would benefit those spending on luxuries from abroad.
“This, no doubt, being the leading desire of a typical PDP governor.
”When the governors claim a lack of federal institutions’ money pouring into their states’ coffer is an affront to democracy, constitutionalism, and federalism,” he added.
