Former Ogun State governor,Chief Olusegun Osoba yesterday hit out at critics of TraderMoni which is being given out by the federal government to petty traders to aid their means of livelihood .
He said it was wrong of anyone to equate the revolving loan with bribe for vote.
Some chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former President Olusegun Obasanjo had branded the loan a bribe by the Buhari Administration to win reelection.
But responding to the allegation at the launch of a book “Nigeria on Firmer Ground, Towards Lasting Peace & Progress,” in Abuja ,Osoba said such criticism was nothing but foolery.
The book is the brainchild of the President’s Media Team.
Osoba who was the reviewer of the book said the government made it clear before its implementation across the country that the fund was approved by the National Assembly.
He said God “gave us Buhari to restore the years that corruption has eaten deep into our fabrics.’
Quoting the President’s Chief of Staff,Mallam Abba Kyari in one of the sections of the book,Osoba said: “funds that were meant to support our soldiers were diverted; contractors, godfathers and politicians helped themselves to millions and as a result many of those on the frontline and those they were supposed to protect were killed.
“These were all the problems inherited by this administration by those who are seeking to return to power, God forbid
“In the boom years, from 2000 to 2015, almost nothing was saved and almost nothing was invested.
“So, when the oil price crashed in 2016, we had no spare capacity to boost production and check the shock.
“It is my strong belief that God gave us Buhari, a man of towering integrity to restore the years that locust of corruption has eaten deep into our fabrics. May we never go back to those years.”
The people of the Southwest,he said, “are always with you because your philosophy is same with our political father, Awolowo whose philosophy is welfarism and egalitarianism. We will massively support you in Ogun State and Yoruba land in general.”
He said the current Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun was conspiring with some people to frustrate Buhari’s reelection.
Also speaking,All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, said that unlike other past leaders who focused on their friends at the expense of the people, President Buhari is working for the masses.
Represented by a former commissioner in Lagos State,Mr.Dele Alake, Tinubu said:” People have murmured that his (Buhari’s) inaugural address statement that “I belong to everybody and belong to nobody” was aimed at me.
“Well, I find that strange indeed as those words were what I wanted him to say and wanted him to be.
“Unlike others whose stated policy is to enrich friends, Buhari took the nobler position that it was better to help the millions of hard working but anonymous common folk instead of maintaining the national economy in the status of a festive party for a select few.
“True to his word, President Buhari has achieved a lot in his time in office despite our strained financial condition due to shrunken oil prices.
“Through focused policies, the Buhari administration has set the foundation for enduring growth of a diversifying economy not unduly reliant on an increasingly unreliable foreign appetite for crude oil.
“Let our economy stand on its own feet and not be overly beholden to motorists in New York City, London or Paris. I believe such sovereign economics are, in the long term, the soundest economics.” he said
He added “The President has managed to return Nigeria to the path of growth. Our foreign exchange reserves have been rebuilt. Inflation has been brought under control and our balance of trade steadily improved.
“These macroeconomic indicators point to an economy that, under the watchful eye of the President, is steadily recovering.
“But we must also recognise that positive economic statistics mean little to ordinary Nigerians striving to put food on their tables.
“Our party, the APC is a party of compassion and progressivism. Despite the relatively meagre revenues of this government compared to prior governments, the Buhari administration set out to do what the other governments cared not to do. That is to give direct care to the nation’s poorest and most put upon citizens.”
The National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole accused Obasanjo of destroying the Nigeria textile industry during his tenure.
He said that he had no apology to offer those complaining that things are hard in the country, stressing that there must be pain in getting the country back on track.
The former Senate President, Ken Nnamani, who unveiled the book, said that it is a compendium which contains the summary of the activities of the current administration.
Stressing that the easiest thing that doesn’t require intelligence is criticism, he urged critics to get a copy of the book in order to get enlightened.
To Buhari, he said “No Nigerian has the capacity to pull genuine crowd like you.”
According to him, there is need to give the President another four to complete the good work he has started.
Buhari said his administration is ready to do more by taking Nigeria to the NEXT LEVEL of development, prosperity, peace and stability.
He said :”Coming just a week to the commencement of the 2019 general elections, there is no doubt that today’s event is very significant as the electorate is being offered more insights into the achievements of the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration since we came to office in 2015.
“From the accounts of all the earlier speakers and what can be gleaned from the book, supported by verifiable facts and figures on projects and programmes implemented in almost every State of the Federation, it is clear that our administration has delivered substantially on our campaign promises.
“Riding on the wave of the CHANGE Agenda which we anchored on making positive impact in the three priority areas of security, economy and fighting corruption, I am convinced that we have made real progress and we are poised to do more by taking Nigeria to the NEXT LEVEL of development, prosperity, peace and stability.”
He went on :”We are also poised to make life – changing progress in infrastructure, agriculture, social investments, and much more.
“From returning the economy to sustainable growth, degrading Boko Haram terrorists, boldly confronting the monster called corruption, history will remember this Administration as one that did what it promised and charted the path for a future of which we can all be proud.
“Going round the country in the past weeks on our campaign stops, I believe that our message emphasizing the need to stick to the winning team and not risk returning our country to irresponsible leadership, at any level of government, has resonated with the people.
“Their stock-in-trade is the avaricious plunder of our national assets and resources, and ordinary Nigerians are quite aware of their conduct in government.
“Our simple message to the Nigerian electorate is to give us four more years to build and consolidate on the foundations we have painstakingly laid so that we shall all reap the benefits of what we have planted in all sectors of our society.”
He said that the ruling APC government has proved to be better manger of resources.
“We have proved better managers of our national assets and the limited resources available to us than past administrations, and we are committed to entrenching higher levels of accountability and transparency in the years ahead.
“As the nation prepares to give her citizens the opportunity to choose their leaders and representatives in the next few weeks, I urge all Nigerians to exercise their civic duty in an atmosphere of peace and security.”