By Samuel Oyadongha, Yenagoa
The All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential aspirant, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday carpeted the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alleging the party of gradually destroying the nation with the sustenance of the culture of corruption and impunity.
Buhari stated this in Yenagoa during a visit to the Bayelsa State Secretariat of the APC to woo delegates for party presidential primaries.
He urged Nigerians to vote out the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and end the era of corruption that has threatened foundation of the nation.
The former Head of State, who was welcomed to the party secretariat by large crowd of supporters and party faithfuls, said the problem with the nation’s democracy was that massive corruption being perpetuated by the ruling PDP.
He said: “What is wrong with Nigeria? What is wrong is massive corruption. And the commentators have said it and wrote about it, and I believe them, if we don’t kill corruption in Nigeria, corruption will kill us.”
Buhari said Nigerians made a mistake in 1999 by voting into power the ruling PDP and the nation has suffered for it.
“If Nigerians make the wrong choice as they have done since 1999, they will pay the price. If you want to know how much we have been suffering for the last 15 years under the PDP, try and imagine what was our condition in 1999.
“We will use the Nigerian Airways, the Nigerian Shipping Line, the Nigerian Airways. The roads were not too bad. The most important among these, I suppose, was the industrialization. The creation of jobs, goods and services through what is called NEPA or Power holding Company.
“But after spending so much dollars, we are still where we are. Nigerians have abundant resources. God has endowed us with petroleum and some mineral resources, a lot of land for farming. But the educational standard have gone haywire. The infrastructure have gone. The institutions, have just learnt, have disappeared. If you find out how much we have earned till date,you will be amazed,” he said.
He said though members of the National Assembly tried through various public hearings and the unearthing of corrupt practices by the present administration in the power sector, petroleum sector and the military,”such massive mismanagement and corruption discovered have been frustrated by the PDP.”
“The National Assembly was worried and constituted public hearings.The hearings were conducted in Abuja and the geo-political zones. The National Assembly conducted hearing on NEPA. They conducted on the missing Pension fund. They conducted on the Petroleum Industry. They got facts about those responsible for the massive mismanagement and sent the report to the executive as required by the constitution. Nobody has been charged.”
On insurgency in the North East, he said the corrupt practices of the PDP led-government has rendered the military weak and incapable.