By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s decision to visit the troubled Mali while failing to visit or find solution to the myriads of political, economic and security crisis ravaging the nation has called to question his determination to face the challenges of the country under his watch.
The PDP in a statement on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbonfiyan, stated that since President Buhari has shown that he can leave the comfort of the Presidential Villa to another country, he should respond to the distress calls by Nigerians and immediately visit Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Adamawa, Sokoto, Yobe and other states being pillaged by bandits, insurgents, kidnappers and marauders.
The party described the President’s prioritization of the situation in Mali over the worsening political and economic instability, festering corruption as well as escalated banditry, killings and bloodletting in various parts of the country as a misplacement of priority as well as an inexcusable dereliction of statutory responsibilities vested on the person and office of the President and Commander in Chief.
The PDP said that “a President and Commander-in-Chief who cannot live up to his statutory governance responsibility at home but is always more preoccupied with trips abroad, leaves much to be desired.”
“While the PDP has nothing against Nigeria’s participation in seeking peace in the troubled Mali, it is however depressing that, upon re-opening his doors, President Buhari had Mali as his priority destination and could not demonstrate the littlest solidarity with Nigerians, even if it is a whistle stop at any of our military posts in the fronts or any of the distressed states.
“Indeed, Mr. President must be receiving regular briefing on the daily ravaging of communities and mindless killings in Katsina, his home state; Kaduna, Zamfara, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Adamawa, Sokoto, Yobe states, among others in addition to the reported challenges facing our gallant soldiers in the fronts, yet upon reopening of his doors, he chose to jet away to Mali instead of addressing these critical issues at home.
“He has also failed to forcefully confront the widespread corruption that has become a hallmark of his administration in which officials and leaders of his party have been engaging in unbridled treasury looting as being exposed in the investigative hearings at the National Assembly.
“Moreover, under the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC), our nation has experienced the worst form of division and instability in the polity due to the unchecked violation of our constitution, disregard to principles of separation of powers and federal character; manifest arrogance of government officials, abuse of human rights, nepotism, disobedience to court orders, stifling of free speech, harassment of opposition and violation of extant statutory regulations”, PDP said.
PDP wondered what President Buhari has to present on the table in Mali alongside other West African leaders when his administration has failed to demonstrate the required commitment to confront the nation’s domestic political, economic and security challenges, which escalated due to its incompetence and seething corruption.
