. Buhari, ruling party must apologise to Nigerians, says ex-VP
. Atiku failed Nigerians as vice president- APC
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Sunday, asked President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress to apologise to Nigerians for taking ‘humongous amount of loans’ without any serious justification for it.
Atiku said the Buhari-led government should admit guilt for taking the country through the “throes of subjugation to another country.”
But the APC, in a swift reaction, said Atiku failed Nigerians as vice president, adding that he lacked the moral right to make such demands.
The former vice president has long advocated for a more robust engagement of the private sector and promotion of foreign direct investment as sustainable alternatives through which government could fund infrastructure development.
But President Buhari’s administration has continued to take foreign loans, which have now hit about $23bn.
According to Atiku, “Nigeria had a total foreign debt stock of $7.02 billion on May 29, 2015. Today, our foreign debt is $23 billion and rapidly rising.
“Debt, by itself, is not a bad thing. But debt budgeted for such unproductive ventures, like the proposed $500 million upgrade of the Nigerian Television Authority and other sundry bogus contracts, is debt that leads to death. To trade Nigeria’s sovereignty for this type of profligacy is the height of irresponsibility.”
However, in a reply to the former vice president, APC Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, said, “Atiku should be the one to apologise to Nigerians. All that he has borrowed from the banks, he has not been able to pay back his own. So, he has failed Nigerians as Vice President of this country.“Atiku is not in a better position to tell Nigerians, President Muhammadu Buhari or the APC what to do because he has failed Nigerians.”