...Scaring Away Investors
PRESS RELEASE
The Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) draws the attention of Nigerians to the harmful
consequences of the unabated negative statements from the very father of the
nation, President Muhammadu Buhari, on the economy and the general image of the
country.
*Buhari
The party
said “it is worrisome that in the last six months, the President, instead of
making efforts to harness resources and grow the economy, has rather continued
to apply himself, perhaps unwittingly, to demarketing the nation and scaring
away investors through negative labeling of Nigerians and unwarranted unhealthy
portrayal of the nation’s economy”.
The PDP in a
statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh on Sunday said
the President’s unwary statements have become very serious clog in the wheel of
progress, eroding the confidence of both domestic and international investors
in the Nigerian economic and social system.
“In the last
six months, our President has only succeeded in discouraging foreign investors
with his continued misrepresentation of our country as a business unfriendly
environment, where most of the citizens are basically corrupt, dishonest, and
cannot be trusted.
“Whereas we
have restated our total support for the war against corruption, we insist that
Mr. President’s unceasing blanket negative labeling of citizens, in a country
where millions of honest and hardworking individuals/firms are genuinely
contributing daily to the development effort, is indeed a disservice and
injurious to the nation and the people.
“Furthermore,
Mr. President’s recent announcement to the world that the nation, with its
abundant human and natural resources, is broke and cannot pay cabinet ministers
not only sends a discouraging signal to the domestic and international business
community, but also exposes the ineptitude of the present administration to
meaningfully and sincerely exert itself and work with industrious and
innovative investors to create and manage wealth.
“We ask; how
can any reasonable investor still have the confidence to invest in a country
where the President himself continues to alert that his country reeks of
corrupt people and that the government is broke to the extent it cannot pay
cabinet ministers?
“Is the
President not directly advising investors against having confidence in Nigeria
“More
worrisome is the fact that Mr. President most times, makes his damaging
comments in international fora with potential investors in attendance to the
extent that reminds one of the proverbial father who, in the presence of
potential suitors, often portrays his daughters as wayward and yet constantly
complain of their inability to find husbands.
“Indeed, this
is not the way to go, Nigeria
“May we
remind Mr. President that even in the darkest period of our economic
challenges, successive administrations made efforts in steadying the economy,
while always reassuring our citizens and the international community of the
strength and economic potentials of our great nation.
“We know that
in the desperation to cover its apparent lack of economic plan, this
administration has positioned cabinet ministers, upon inauguration to
concentrate on diversionary blame game on the past PDP administration. But even
this political deceit cannot combat the unpalatable consequences of Mr.
President’s damaging utterances on the image of the nation and its economy.
Finally, we
wish to remind the President and those around him that Nigerians, by the 2015
elections, have committed the fate of the country in his hands for the next
four years and are not willing to accept excuses for any economic failures
under his watch.
Signed:
Chief Olisa Metuh
National Publicity Secretary
National Publicity Secretary
November 1, 2015
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