25th February, 2015
The Lagos State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has condemned in the strongest terms President Jonathan’s open display of brazen impunity and financial recklessness during his five days visit to Lagos last week.
In a release signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Joe Igbokwe, the party says what happened in Lagos during the president’s visit is a shameful bazaar that is unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.
“While President Jonathan was busy dolling out cash to all and sundry in Lagos the Vice President Nemadi Sambo was busy in Kaduna replicating the same thing, without shame , without honour, without remorse.,” Igbokwe said.
According to him, “US Dollars and local currencies were dolled out by the president in millions to market leaders, Town Unions, Traditional rulers, Actors, Artisans, Transporters, government workers, private sector, local chiefs, drivers without any modicum of respect to the exalted office he occupies. No wonder our Foreign Reserves has just been depleted by 1.6 billion U.S. Dollars”
“Never in the history of this country has a sitting President displayed this kind of desperation and financial irresponsibility in a country that lacks basic infrastructure and common indices of human development. It is now crystal clear to Nigerians why PDP and President Jonathan shifted the February 14 presidential elections to March 28 2015”
“This is the money the president would have used to create jobs for millions of young, jobless Nigerians. This is the millions that would have been used to rebuild our decayed and moribund universities. This money would have been used to rebuild our Teaching Hospitals to become centres of excellence. This money would have been used effectively to deal with the nation’s security challenges. Government does not share money to individuals but use such money to provide basic amenities for all and sundry.”
He added that “funny individuals, scammers, 419ers and people with questionable character besieged the Presidential Lounge in Marina Lagos to collect their own largesse. Those who do not deserve even half a penny lined up to deceive the President. It was like a carnival or open market attended by 21st century fools and nonentities”
“President Jonathan may have come to Lagos and gone but his visit left a sour taste of how the exalted office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria was debased, decimated and ridiculed further in the name of playing money politics.
“Lagos APC is yet to see how this unprecedented waste of public funds across the country will translate to votes on 28 March, 2015 when Nigerians will take stock of President Jonathan’s six years in office. This election is all about giving account of six years of stewardship, and nothing more.”