Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has come under fire from the Arewa Professionals for Democracy and Development (APDD) for his criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s new $2.2 billion loan request.
According to reports, the National Assembly approved the $2.2 billion loan request on Thursday, despite criticism from certain Nigerians.
The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku, has criticized Tinubu for requesting the new loan, pointing out that the President’s previous loans had become a significant burden for Nigerians.
Alleging that the loans are not being properly utilized, Atiku warned that they will place unbearable strain on the economy.
He said, “These Tinubu’s loans are bone-crushing for Nigerians and are bringing insufferable pressure on the economy, especially when they are not properly negotiated or utilised.”
However, the Arewa Professionals for Democracy and Development, APDD, on Saturday hit out at Atiku, berating the former vice president over his criticism of the loan request.
In a statement signed by its President, Engr. Moses Odaudu, APDD condemned Atiku’s claim that the loan will be embezzled.
According to APDD, while it is important to scrutinise government actions, it is equally vital to consider the broader context and potential benefits of the loans.
By claiming that the loans are “bone-crushing” and putting the economy under “insufferable pressure,” Atiku flagrantly trivialized the strategic intent behind them, according to the statement. However, when properly managed and invested in vital infrastructure and development projects, the loans can boost economic growth, create jobs, and enhance public services.
We think Atiku projected his worth onto the current administration, implying that he came to the conclusion that the loans would be embezzled since that is what would have occurred if he had been president.
“This is even as President Tinubu has assured that his government will ensure transparency and accountability in using these funds, which should have been Atiku’s focus instead of the infantile tantrums he threw in the public opinion space.
“This is why we ask the former vice president to differentiate between constructive criticism aimed at improving governance and baseless accusations that can undermine public trust in Nigeria.”
APDD added that Atiku’s criticism overlooked the complexities of international finance and the strategic decisions involved in securing favourable terms of borrowing, which caused him to dwell on the comparison of exchange rates while suggesting that the loans are poorly negotiated.
The group said Atiku was being mischievous by denying the Tinubu administration’s efforts to boost revenue collection through reforms in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Customs as part of a broader strategy to enhance fiscal stability.
In a similar spirit, the APDD recommended Atiku to give up politics and abandon his presidential aspirations, accusing him of playing games on the matter.
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According to the statement, “It is tragic that Atiku shamelessly brings up something that should be forgotten in his desperate attempt to gain public approval by claiming that the government of President Obasanjo, under which he served as vice president, paid off the nation’s foreign debt without telling Nigerians the truth.”
The former vice president once erroneously claimed to have led Obasanjo’s economic team, which shared a commission on loan repayment, and we challenge Atiku to deny that he was not a recipient of that commission.
We end by imploring Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to acknowledge that his senior age and the agony of repeated electoral defeats suggest that he no longer has the mental clarity necessary to analyze national issues as he did a few decades ago.
“Atiku must therefore acknowledge to himself that it is time to step away from politics and avoid getting involved in domestic matters in order to prevent his weakened ability from misguiding some Nigerians.”
