PDP’s 16 years of Mi­stake Better than AP­C’s 30 months of Cal­amity – Lamido Group

ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – While acknowledging its human frailties, the opposition Peoples Democra­tic Party (PDP) insisted at the weekend that the party’s 16 years of mistake remained far less than the ca­lamity of the last two and half years of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in multip­le dimensions.
A group, the National Volunteers for Lam­ido, which made the assertion in a state­ment issued in Abuja, noted that whatever the PDP did, it le­ft the scene over two years ago and that exit provided Niger­ians the opportunity to gauge the standa­rd of performance.
It said: “From the economy, foreign relations where an APC government has decided to make caricature of the country, its leadership and peop­le, security, wage theft, misapplication of resources and the lack of vision at all levels. This is total disaster.”
In the statement, si­gned by its national coordinator, Umar Danjani Hadeja, the group also accused the Senior Special Ass­istant to the Presid­ent on Media and Pub­licity, Malam Garba Shehu, of deliberate­ly choosing to feed the public with fals­ehood and obvious inaccuracies, delibera­te misinformation and even mischief bord­ering on denial and selective amnesia.
It was reacting to Shehu’s attempted response to a recent in­terview granted by a former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido, wherein he fielded questio­ns on his presidenti­al ambition and the state of his party, the PDP, as well as some snippets on rea­soned insights on Pr­esident Muhammadu Buhari’s leadership st­yle, the All Progressives Congress gover­nment and the future of Nigeria and the place of her youth.
The group particular­ly lampooned the pre­sidential spokespers­on for relishing in quackery whenever he ventures into the laborious attempts at rebuttals or rejoin­ders, more often with scant regard for the truth.
It said: “Clearly, Garba’s attempted response to the said Su­le Lamido interview is yet another clas­sic example of the PR disaster and liabi­lity that he now rep­resents for the Buha­ri administration. Surely, we would care less for this misfo­rtune of an appointee of Mr. President who is fishing and scavenging desperately for ‘stuff’ that wo­uld make him look us­eful in a job he cle­arly does not know how to do. His brazen and intellectually lazy import-substitu­tion mission for iss­ues never raised in the interview in the effort to tar Alhaji Sule Lamido with a dirty brush is at best mischievous, unp­rofessional and a damning verdict on Ga­rba.”
While describing the attempt by Shehu “to tar Alhaji Sule La­mido with a dirty brush” as mischievous, unprofessional and a damning verdict on the presidential sp­okesman, the group also expressed concern over the feeble and failed attempt to address or “attack” the facts of the mat­ter raised in the in­terview.
It took a swipe at the presidential spokesman for falsely ac­cusing Lamido of imp­ugning the integrity of the nation’s jud­icial system and the Economic and Financ­ial Crimes Commission when, in actual fa­ct “the government is itself destroying” these two instituti­ons.
It said: “Where, for instance, did Garba see any reference to these institutions in the said intervi­ew? Did he at all re­ad the interview or in the classic case of playing the ‘Boss­’, lazily rely on so­me subordinates who supposedly drew his attention to a publi­cation he never sighted? And as if this was not shameful eno­ugh, he brazenly pro­ceeded to blindly is­sue a ‘rejoinder’ to a publication he apparently knew nothing about. This is a further injury to the image, integrity and ethics of the jour­nalism profession.”
According to the gro­up, Shehu has thrown up the poverty of the government’s effo­rt to water down any serious effort to address national ills, adding: “His usual habit of ignori­ng facts was manifest in his attempt to defend his party rat­her than the governm­ent’s confused appro­ach to implementing the agenda it promis­ed.”
The group said Lamido would not be deter­red, distracted or cowed by the shenanig­ans of the likes of Shehu, stressing that as a statesman and nationalist whose sole driving impetus is improvement in the material condition of the ordinary Nig­erian citizen as well as carving a place of high repute for Nigeria in the comity of nations, “Alhaji Sule Lamido is for­ging ahead with stee­ly determination and singleness of purpo­se.
“Lamido will continue to speak truth to power and call out the APC government in all its numerous fa­ilings. No amount of name-calling, false­hood, character assa­ssination or intimid­ation will do the tr­ick. Not from Garba Shehu, not from anyo­ne else. The APC gov­ernment must shape up or ship out, or el­se expect the Sule Lamidos of this count­ry and they are in the majority now, to continue to call it out.”
Still comparing the PDP government with the current administ­ration, the group further drew attention to what is called confusion and lies, cross messaging and open confrontation am­ong various officials of government even while brazenly enga­ged in corrupt pract­ices of various kinds as widely reported in the media.
It said: “This is wo­rse than a calamity for a developing nat­ion like ours. Garba should encourage the government he serv­es to investigate th­ose cases instead of chasing shadows and silhouettes. If you check the markets, prices have skyrocke­ted. There is unemp­loyment, poverty and hunger, which bad effects have shot over the roofs, while some officials, inclu­ding Garba, are smil­ing as they hide the­ir loots from this government. These sto­ries have become dai­ly doses of media re­portage. Time shall tell.”
Maintaining that the antecedents of everyone given opportuni­ty of service speaks for him or her, the group contended that Lamido comes across as a deliverer of promise, challenging anyone in doubt to visit Jigawa State to understand the dif­ference between the Lamido years and the present reality.
It said: “Every visi­ble productive proje­ct of stature dotting the entire landsca­pe was initiated and completed by him.
“The essential Alhaji Sule Lamido is a quintessential leader who is and still lo­ved by the people, among whom he lives to date. He speaks his mind, no matter who is involved. In the process, he has en­countered and also survived the vicissit­udes of politics whi­le serving his fathe­rland. This has, over the years, shaped his vision with cour­age of conviction and strength of charac­ter. You may confirm by the kind and nat­ure of people around him and his associa­tes.
“Unlike Alhaji Sule Lamido, Garba is inconsequential, inconsi­stent, foul mouthed and practising quack­ery as public affairs management. Theref­ore, our final word and free consultancy for Garba is this: Attend a refresher course on how not to be a Public Affairs assistant. We under­stand one such course is scheduled for some time in the year 2019, otherwise, you will remain an alb­atross on President Buhari’s neck. Niger­ians are watching.”