Presidency lied, UN meeting on insurgency shunned by Buhari yielded $6.8m – PDP

* Says Buhari won’t attach value to Ministers after calling them noise makers

* Describes Buhari’s lateness to meeting with Pope Francis, as a monumental embarrassment

By Henry Umoru

ABUJA- National leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, on Monday, lampooned President Muhammadu Buhari, saying that Nigeria’s snubbing of the meeting of countries affected by insurgency at the 70th United Nation’s General Assembly meeting was an insult to the country.

Olisah Metuh

PDP accused the presidency of being economical with the truth on why President Buhari was absent at the UN General Assembly in New York meeting where the very sensitive issue of humanitarian crisis arising from the insurgency in Lake Chad countries was discussed.

According to the party, Nigeria’s absence at such a meeting where countries affected by Boko Haram insurgency sought international assistance for millions displaced by the scourge, revealed the All Progressives Congress, APC led government insincerity and ineptitude.

Addressing Journalists, in Abuja, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh stressed that the presidency lied because the said meeting on humanitarian crisis was contained on the official brochure tagged, “High Level Event on the Lake Chad Basin,” and that “high level representation from the government of Nigeria” was scheduled to make contributions at the meeting.

Metuh said: “Further reports indicate that due to the importance of that meeting, it was broadcast on United Nations’ official online television and radio channels, while officials of world bodies have continued to register their disappointment in our country due to the incompetence of the APC-led government. Instead of admitting failure and apologizing to Nigerians, the Presidency sought to hoodwink the public by claiming that the meeting was not one of the official events for which the President and his delegation are in New York, only for the official brochure of the meeting tagged, “High Level Event on the Lake Chad Basin,” to show that “high level representation from the government of Nigeria” was scheduled to make contributions at the meeting.

“It is disheartening to note that the same meeting the President Buhari-led delegation shunned actually yielded a fall out of $6.8 million announced by the United States as funding for regional aid efforts.”

‎The PDP regretted that whereas, other affected Chad basin countries were fully represented and had fruitful discussions with officials of the world body, the government of Nigeria, which has the biggest challenge of displaced persons, refused to attend such a meeting.

Metuh who titled his speech, “The Decline Of Democratic Ideals” also said that for calling Ministers noise makers, President Buhari will not attach any value or importance to them if he eventually appoints them, adding that the non appointment of Ministers about four months in office is a pointer that the president wants

to run an authoritarian government.

He said, “From his hesitancy and comments, it is deducible that President Buhari never intended to appoint ministers but rather prefers to run a monocracy and evidently does not value or respect those he would nominate as ministers.

“Otherwise, how can anyone repackage the mindset of the President when he, in an interview with France 24 Television in France, stated categorically that his preference is to rule without a cabinet and denigrated ministers as ‘noise makers,’ and of no importance or value in the running of an administration?‎”

Metuh also noted the diplomatic mix-up experienced during the UN visit, “which resulted in the breach of protocol, crass ineptitude and monumental embarrassment in the late appearance of President Buhari during Pope Francis’ meeting with other world leaders.

“This is most damaging to the image of the country, especially as we note that the damage did not arise out of disrespect for the head of Vatican, the Pope but due to the incompetence of those around our beloved President,” the party added.

Presidency lied, UN meeting on insurgency shunned by Buhari yielded $6.8m – PDP