3 hours ago
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ABUJA – President of the Arewa Professionals for Democracy and Development (APDD), Engineer Moses Odaudu, on Friday, advised former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, to desist from indulging in baseless criticisms of the President Bola Tinubu administration.
Odaudu was reacting to Atiku’s recent criticism of the $2.2billion loan request from President Bola Tinubu.
The group in a statement signed by Engr. Odaudu, wondered why Atiku decided to ignore key aspects of economic management and development, while criticising the loan request.
The group said while it is important to scrutinise government actions, it is equally important to consider the broader context and potential benefits of these loans.
“He blatantly trivialised the strategic intent behind the loans by asserting that they are “bone-crushing” and bring “insufferable pressure” on the economy whereas when properly managed and invested in critical infrastructure and development projects, the loans can stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and improve public services.
“We believe what Atiku did was to project his value on the incumbent government with the implication that he concluded the loans would be embezzled because that is what would have happened if he were the president.
“This is even as President Tinubu has assured that his government will ensure transparency and accountability in using these funds, which should have been Atiku’s focus instead of the criticism he threw in the public opinion space.
“This is why we ask the former vice president to differentiate between constructive criticism aimed at improving governance and baseless accusations that can undermine public trust in Nigeria”, the group said.
Odaudu further noted that they noticed that Atiku’s criticism overlooked the complexities of international finance and the strategic decisions involved in securing favourable terms of borrowing, which caused him to dwell on the comparison of exchange rates while suggesting that the loans are poorly negotiated.
He said only such mischief made him deny the administration’s efforts to boost revenue collection through reforms in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Customs as part of a broader strategy to enhance fiscal stability.
Recall that the National Assembly had approved a $2.2 billion foreign loan request from President Tinubu.
Paschal Njoku holds a Higher National Diploma (Upper Credit), Mass Communication (2002) from the Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra state. He hails from Naze, Owerri North LGA, Imo State. He has been in active journalism since 2003; married with three sons, and plays quality football and tennis.
