Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has slammed Atiku Abubakar, for saying the APC has done nothing for Nigerians in the last eight years.
He reminded him that it was the APC government that secured his state, Adamawa, from the scourge of Boko Haram.
Mohammed stated this at the seventh edition of President Muhammadu Buhari’s Administration Scorecard Series (2015-2023).
The minister said Atiku’s statement in Akure that the APC has not done anything in eight years, was preposterous.
“…the increasing tendency by some opposition presidential candidates to downplay the achievements of this administration in their desperation for power, ahead of the 2023 elections. The worst offender in this regard has been the presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar. During his recent campaign in Akure, the former VP was quoted as saying the APC had not done anything for Nigeria in eight years. What a preposterous statement from somebody who should know!”
The minister reminded Atiku that it took the government of President Muhammadu Buhari to construct good roads, even the road leading to his hometown, something he could not do with eight years as vice president and 16 years of the PDP in power.
“I guess we can excuse His Excellency, the former vice president, who, until recently, had fully relocated to Dubai, thus losing touch with Nigeria. And, if anyone would accuse the APC-led federal government of doing nothing, it should not be Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. Why? Because for the 16 years of the PDP rule, eight of which Atiku was vice president, there was no motorable road to the former VP’s hometown and, indeed, to key local governments in the Southern senatorial zone that served as Adamawa’s food basket and economic nerve centre until the government of president Buhari assumed office.
“Today, gentlemen, the Mayo Belwa- Jada- Ganye- Toungo road has been constructed fully and it’s the road that Alhaji Atiku uses to get to his hometown of Jada.
“What about security? Before this administration came into office, all the five local government areas in Adamawa’s northern senatorial district were effectively under the control of the Boko Haram terrorists. All state institutions, the local government administration, the police, the judiciary, schools, hospitals and markets had been sacked. Traditional rulers, including emirs and chiefs, had been displaced with their palaces taken over by the terrorists as their headquarters.
“The affected five local governments in the northern senatorial zone are Madagali, Michika, Mubi North, Mubi South and Little Gombi. In the central senatorial zone, two local governments were effectively under the control of the Boko Haram terrorists: These two local governments are: Maiha Local Government and Hong Local government. Today, not an inch of these local governments in Adamawa, the home state of the former vice president, is under the control of terrorists. All institutions of state have relocated back and are operational. All emirs and chiefs have returned to their palaces. Schools and markets have opened. Please note, gentlemen, that throughout that period, Atiku could not even go home.”