The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lost governance following the persisting fuel scarcity hitting the nation.
The party has also demanded that the Minister for Education, Adamu Adamu should resign immediately and tender unreserved apology to the nation for abusing and walking out on Nigerian students, who went to his office to plead for his intervention to end the on-going strike by lecturers in public universities in the country.
PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Debo Ologunagba, charged Nigerians to brace up and support one another in the face of abandonment by the APC administration as all critical indicators show that the ruling party has abdicated its constitutional duty to guarantee the security and welfare of the people.
The statement reads, “The prevailing chaotic situation in the country with widespread uncertainties, unabating fuel crisis, piercing economic hardship, sectional agitations, heated industrial unrests, infrastructural stagnation, kidnapping, daily bloodletting and escalated insecurity with gangsters now taking over the streets of major cities further confirms that the APC administration is now on autopilot with its central command structure in disarray.
“The decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to jet out to the United Kingdom (where leaders are committed) for yet another ‘routine medical check-up’ after his administration has wrecked our healthcare system and when the nation which he leads is in crisis, underscores the insensitivity of the APC which by nature and outlook has never been ready for governance since inception.
“While other world leaders are solving problems in their countries, President Buhari, who promised to fix our refineries, abandoned Nigerians to the excruciating fuel crisis caused by the corruption perpetrated by APC leaders in the helm of affairs in the petroleum sector, which has now crippled economic activities in the country.
“Nigerians will recall that after being exposed for importing contaminated fuel with consequential damage to vehicles, machineries and businesses, the APC government had promised to fix the situation. Sadly, several weeks after, the APC Federal Government had failed in its promise as always like in every other aspect of our national life,” the PDP lamented.
The party noted that with the corruption and abdication of duty by the APC, the nation is now at the mercy of black-market vendors, who charge already overburdened Nigerians as high as N500 per liter of fuel; a development that has resulted in spiral increase in transport fares, costs of food, medicines and other essential commodities.
The statement continued,”This is in addition to the collapse of many businesses, massive loss of jobs, hunger and starvation, sudden death of bread winners with grave economic pressure on millions of families and attendant social consequences to our country.
“By travelling out of the country at the time Nigerians expect him to make himself available and provide leadership to address the agitations by striking university lecturers, President Buhari further exposes APC’s lack of commitment towards the wellbeing and development of Nigerians youths,” the party said.
The PDP has also pointed out that by arrogantly insulting and refusing to attend to the member of the National Association of Nigerians Students (NANS), Adamu Adamu recklessly abdicated his duties and exhibited an unpardonable discourteousness unfitting of a minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, let alone a Minister of Education.
“Our Party insists that Adamu Adamu’s action is an assault and embarrassment to the nation’s education sector. It amounts to spitting in the face of the generality of the Nigerian youths as well as their parents; a conduct that is characteristic of the impunity, insensitivity and arrogant disdain for Nigerians which have permeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
“That is why the APC government has always walked away from Nigerians in the face of critical situations that have to do with the security and welfare of the people. Of course, the APC as a party is in approval of the conduct of Adamu Adamu because such is in line with APC’s detestation and disparagement of Nigerians, especially the youths.
“Adamu Adamu’s action is reminiscent of the October 2020 brutal killing of Nigerian youths by APC-controlled security agents at the Lekki Toll gate in Lagos for exercising their rights to peaceful protest against injustice and brutality in our country. But for the maturity displayed by the students, Adamu Adamu’s attitude was capable of causing a breakdown of Law and Order at the venue of the meeting.”
The party further said that the right to education is a basic right which must not be denied our youths, adding, “It is therefore reprehensible that the minister of education who ought to defend such right could conduct himself in such an undignified manner towards the youths.
“Moreover, by stating that he could only comprehend a point in the list of very concise serious issues raised by the students including the demand for adequate funding for education, reopening of universities and the negative implication of constant industrial crisis in tertiary institutions; Adamu Adamu shows that either he is downright inattentive or lacks the required capacity to assimilate or comprehend critical issues.
“Such only points to the fact that Adamu Adamu is not a fit and proper person to continue to hold public office as minister. In any case, by training and professional experience, Adamu Adamu is a square peg in a round hole as Minister of Education. He lacks the proficiency to understand, comprehend and effectively attend to issues of education in our country.”
While urging the students not to relent in their demands, the PDP called on President Buhari to remove Adamu Adamu and appoint a new minister of education from the array of qualified academicians and seasoned administrators that abound in the country, who can understand and effectively manage our education sector.
