Leadership (Abuja)
Philip Nyam
6 January 2009
Abuja — The Action Congress (AC) has described as an insult to the country comments credited to former President Olusegun Obasanjo that Nigerians should brace up for tough times in 2009 because of the global economic recession.
In a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said Nigerians do not need any advice from Obasanjo because his lack of vision and sense of direction caused the economic and social doldrums in which the nation has found itself.
"Largely due to the eight-year misrule of President Obasanjo, Nigeria and its citizens will definitely be hit harder by the global recession than they ordinarily should. One can imagine that the man who is now being sanctimonious had invested wisely in developing social infrastructure, creating jobs and enhancing the security of lives and property during his tenure.
"Imagine that the man who presided all through the years that the price of crude soared above 100 dollars had spent wisely and helped lift our nation's economy. Imagine that the man who had an unprecedented chance to preside over the affairs of Africa's most populous - and perhaps most endowed - nation thrice had helped leapfrogged it to the ranks of prosperous nations, and it will not be difficult for the country to absorb the effects of the global economic downturn.
"But what did the man do? Nothing! He failed woefully due to a combination of crass incompetence, not minding the grandstanding that characterised his years in power, sheer visionlessness and dissipation of energy on vindictiveness and frivolities.
"Now, the combination of falling crude oil prices and another incompetent, clueless leadership are sure to test the will of Nigerians as they struggle to wade through the murky waters of the global economic mess in 2009. There is no need for anyone, not the least the man who frittered away our yesterday to make our tomorrow unsure, to preach to us about the tough times ahead.
"For Nigerians, these are indeed tough times: No good roads, no health care, food prices are rising, Christmas and New Year were spent in darkness by most Nigerians, industries are closing down in droves and with them thousands of jobs are being lost, while those fortunate to still be employed have seen their purchasing power eroded by worsening economic indices," AC said.
The party advised Obasanjo to learn to keep quiet if he has nothing meaningful to say, unless of course he feels he should continue to gloat at the misfortunes he has imposed on Nigerians who dared to reject his third term overture.
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