Ezekwesili compares Buhari to Obasanjo, Jonathan
(ACPN), Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, has expressed dissatisfaction with the
challenges confronting Nigeria, saying that the same mistakes of
previous administrations were being repeated by President Muhammadu
Buhari.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday, one day after flagging off her campaign,
Ezekwesili said Nigeria needed a leader like her to make the country
realise its potential.
She warned Nigerians not to resign to low standards by voting
opposition parties, especially the Peoples Democratic Party or the All
Progressives Congress.
Ezekwesili said, "Sometimes it is hard to believe Nigeria's greatness
in the midst of our daily struggles, and as we watch our country
repeat the same mistakes over and over again. It is hard to remember
the contributions our country has made for freedom and peace across
the African continent.
"I cannot stand it when we choose to accept mediocrity or resign
ourselves to lowly standards. Nigeria can do much better.
"I care about Nigeria and Nigerians enough to know that the
back-to-back failed leadership has held us back for far too long, and
if we do not take a stand and take our country back, they would still
be here in years to come, holding back our children and their
children. God forbid!"
She assured Nigerians that she would fulfil her electoral promises,
adding that a situation where elected candidates fail to fulfil
promises was bad for Nigeria's growth.
"The APC campaigned in 2015 on a manifesto that propagated the
doctrine of restructuring. President Buhari went along with it every
step of the way because it is all about getting into power for him. He
won and then began to renege on his promises, including on
restructuring. He suddenly remembered all the reasons why 'structure
is not the problem' with Nigeria.
"I want to reignite belief in Nigeria's greatness by leading a
government that would make clear promises to citizens and deliver on
them, not like the current leadership which spent its first year in
office denying all the promises it made to get into that office," she
added.
She accused Buhari of placing a lesser value on the lives of
Nigerians, warning that Nigerians needed to vote for a candidate who
would take their well-being as a priority.
The former Vice-President of the World Bank explained that Nigeria's
current federal structure was not working and recommended a review.
She said, "Entire communities and even local government areas in this
country have been driven into hunger and poverty, as their sources of
livelihoods are completely wiped out due to insecurity. The value of a
Nigerian life has been devalued and cheapened.
"The structure of a federation is its skeleton. A functional structure
gives shape, support, and aids the movement of the federation. No
wonder Nigeria is handicapped under this dysfunctional structure."
"There was a time when the APC agreed on the need to restructure the
federation and devolve more powers to the regions and states."
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