Secondus: Nigeria Sliding into Insolvency, Failed State

Secondus: Nigeria Sliding into Insolvency, Failed State

By Chuks Okocha

National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Uche Secondus, yesterday berated the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC), asking the president to sit up and solve the multifaceted problems plaguing the country as Nigeria may soon slide into insolvency and become a failed state.

The PDP national chairman also said Nigeria is sitting on a keg of gunpowder and a time bomb that could explode any moment.

Also, Secondus called on President Buhari to go a step forward as it did in the reduction of the price of petrol, and reduce the current rate of the Valued Added Tax (VAT) of 7.5 percent to the former rate of five percent.

Addressing a world press conference at the party national secretariat tagged: ‘Time to Act is now’, Secondus said: “The facts are indisputable that President Buhari-led APC administration has woefully failed the people of Nigeria. This is a general consensus across this great country. No segment of our nationhood is in good shape as we speak.”

According to him, “The economy is in a dire state as the country heads toward insolvency, occasioned by huge unserviceable debts and the crash of oil price,” adding that Nigerians continues to live in fear as its security situation worsens and remains unabated.

Secondus explained that “PDP is trying to underscore a loud point that this country is seating on a time bomb, and we must not allow it to explode.

“We in PDP have our genuine fears that this government and its managers lack the needed capacity to lift us out of the wood because we got into it due to their incapacity.

“But that notwithstanding, the regime should be sensitive to the plight of the suffering masses of the country by reviewing downwards various draconian policies like the various tax regimes especially the Value Added Tax (VAT) that affects every good and service.”

The national chairman of the party described the government approach to the scourge of the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and soot pollution in Rivers State as lackluster, stating that the response is an invitation to disaster.

According to Secondus, “The COVID-19 ravaging the world has thrown up fresh challenges for leaders across the globe. While we watch and admire leaders rise to the challenge elsewhere, the reverse is the case in our country. Nigerians are yet to hear or see their president rise to the emergency, and unfortunately too, officers on duty have not enjoyed the needed political will.

“We forbid a serious situation were the president in his characteristic manner would say he is not aware of the virus.

“Also, a very outstandingly sad situation is the Nigerian Government response to last weekend pipeline explosion disaster in Lagos State,” calling for a minute silence for those who died in the Abule- Ado explosion.

The PDP leader urged the APC-led federal government to avoid adding insult to injury with its reckless and lawless attitude to human rights issues which he alleged had worsen situation and exposed the country to further ridicule.

In view of this, the national chairman of PDP said: “Consequently, at this hour of peril to our country, PDP is calling upon President Buhari to wake up and give Nigeria a firm, purposeful, consultative and all-inclusive leadership.

“Our party is of the firm conviction that our problems can be successfully resolved if there is a fair and effective leadership at the top. It is now time to give this leadership or give way to capable hands.”

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