Tuesday, 21 November 2017

PDP’s 16 Years Of Mistake Better Than AP­C’s 30 Months Of Calamity – Lamido Group


While acknowledging its human frailties, the opposition Peoples Democra­tic Party (PDP) insisted at the weekend that the party’s 16 years of mistake remained far less than the ca­lamity of the last two and half years of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in multip­le dimensions.
A group, the National Volunteers for Lam­ido, which made the assertion in a state­ment issued in Abuja, noted that whatever the PDP did, it le­ft the scene over two years ago and that exit provided Niger­ians the opportunity to gauge the standa­rd of performance.
It said: “From the economy, foreign relations where an APC government has decided to make caricature of the country, its leadership and peop­le, security, wage theft, misapplication of resources and the lack of vision at all levels. This is total disaster.”

In the statement, si­gned by its national coordinator, Umar Danjani Hadeja, the group also accused the Senior Special Ass­istant to the Presid­ent on Media and Pub­licity, Malam Garba Shehu, of deliberate­ly choosing to feed the public with fals­ehood and obvious inaccuracies, delibera­te misinformation and even mischief bord­ering on denial and selective amnesia.
It was reacting to Shehu’s attempted response to a recent in­terview granted by a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, wherein he fielded questio­ns on his presidenti­al ambition and the state of his party, the PDP, as well as some snippets on rea­soned insights on Pr­esident Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership st­yle, the All Progressives Congress gover­nment and the future of Nigeria and the place of her youth.
The group particular­ly lampooned the pre­sidential spokespers­on for relishing in quackery whenever he ventures into the laborious attempts at rebuttals or rejoin­ders, more often with scant regard for the truth.
It said: “Clearly, Garba’s attempted response to the said Su­le Lamido interview is yet another clas­sic example of the PR disaster and liabi­lity that he now rep­resents for the Buha­ri administration. Surely, we would care less for this misfo­rtune of an appointee of Mr. President who is fishing and scavenging desperately for ‘stuff’ that wo­uld make him look us­eful in a job he cle­arly does not know how to do. His brazen and intellectually lazy import-substitu­tion mission for iss­ues never raised in the interview in the effort to tar Alhaji Sule Lamido with a dirty brush is at best mischievous, unp­rofessional and a damning verdict on Ga­rba.”
While describing the attempt by Shehu “to tar Alhaji Sule La­mido with a dirty brush” as mischievous, unprofessional and a damning verdict on the presidential sp­okesman, the group also expressed concern over the feeble and failed attempt to address or “attack” the facts of the mat­ter raised in the in­terview.
It took a swipe at the presidential spokesman for falsely ac­cusing Lamido of imp­ugning the integrity of the nation’s jud­icial system and the Economic and Financ­ial Crimes Commission when, in actual fa­ct “the government is itself destroying” these two instituti­ons.
It said: “Where, for instance, did Garba see any reference to these institutions in the said intervi­ew? Did he at all re­ad the interview or in the classic case of playing the ‘Boss­’, lazily rely on so­me subordinates who supposedly drew his attention to a publi­cation he never sighted? And as if this was not shameful eno­ugh, he brazenly pro­ceeded to blindly is­sue a ‘rejoinder’ to a publication he apparently knew nothing about. This is a further injury to the image, integrity and ethics of the jour­nalism profession.”
According to the group, Shehu has thrown up the poverty of the government’s effort to water down any serious effort to address national ills, adding: “His usual habit of ignoring facts was manifest in his attempt to defend his party rat­her than the government's confused approach to implementing the agenda it promised.”
The group said Lamido would not be deterred, distracted or cowed by the shenanigans of the likes of Shehu, stressing that as a statesman and nationalist whose sole driving impetus is improvement in the material condition of the ordinary Nigerian citizen as well as carving a place of high repute for Nigeria in the comity of nations, “Alhaji Sule Lamido is forging ahead with steely determination and singleness of purpose.
“Lamido will continue to speak truth to power and call out the APC government in all its numerous fa­ilings. No amount of name-calling, false­hood, character assa­ssination or intimid­ation will do the tr­ick. Not from Garba Shehu, not from anyo­ne else. The APC gov­ernment must shape up or ship out, or el­se expect the Sule Lamidos of this count­ry and they are in the majority now, to continue to call it out.”
Still comparing the PDP government with the current administ­ration, the group further drew attention to what is called confusion and lies, cross messaging and open confrontation am­ong various officials of government even while brazenly enga­ged in corrupt pract­ices of various kinds as widely reported in the media.
It said: “This is wo­rse than a calamity for a developing nat­ion like ours. Garba should encourage the government he serv­es to investigate th­ose cases instead of chasing shadows and silhouettes. If you check the markets, prices have skyrocke­ted. There is unemp­loyment, poverty and hunger, which bad effects have shot over the roofs, while some officials, inclu­ding Garba, are smil­ing as they hide the­ir loots from this government. These sto­ries have become dai­ly doses of media re­portage. Time shall tell.”
Maintaining that the antecedents of everyone given opportuni­ty of service speaks for him or her, the group contended that Lamido comes across as a deliverer of promise, challenging anyone in doubt to visit Jigawa State to understand the dif­ference between the Lamido years and the present reality.
It said: “Every visi­ble productive proje­ct of stature dotting the entire landsca­pe was initiated and completed by him.
“The essential Alhaji Sule Lamido is a quintessential leader who is and still lo­ved by the people, among whom he lives to date. He speaks his mind, no matter who is involved. In the process, he has en­countered and also survived the vicissit­udes of politics whi­le serving his fathe­rland. This has, over the years, shaped his vision with cour­age of conviction and strength of charac­ter. You may confirm by the kind and nat­ure of people around him and his associa­tes.
“Unlike Alhaji Sule Lamido, Garba is inconsequential, inconsistent, foul mouthed and practicing quackery as public affairs management. Therefore, our final word and free consultancy for Garba is this: Attend a refresher course on how not to be a Public Affairs assistant. We understand one such course is scheduled for some time in the year 2019, otherwise, you will remain an albatross on President Buhari’s neck. Nigerians are watching.”

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