LAGOS— EMINENT Nigerians, yesterday, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently provide the right response to the current hardship across the country, lamenting that his ministers had
performed below expectation. Buhari They warned that if appropriate answers were not provided within the shortest possible time, the country might experience a total economic collapse. While calling on the Presidency to review the performances of most ministers, they were ambivalent over resignation calls for those who may be found unproductive. Those who spoke to Vanguard include, a former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope; a former Chairman of Senate Committee on Oil and Gas, Sen Lee Maeba; Second Republic lawmaker, Dr. Junaid Mohammed; ex-President of Nigeria Bar Association,NBA, Chief Olisa Agbakoba,SAN; and former presidential candidate, Prof Pat Utomi. Others are a retired Police Commissioner, Alhaji Abubakar Tsav; founder of Oodua Peoples Congress, OPC, Chief Fredrick Fahseun and Publicity Secretary of Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Mr. Yinka Odumakin.
They spoke against the backdrop of the tackling of the ministers by Nigerians, who were irked by the prevailing economic hardship in the country at a Town Hall meeting held in Abuja last Monday.
It shows Buhari govt has lost credibility — Mohammed Mohammed said: “I am not surprised by the reactions of Nigerians against the Ministers. What I can say, with all sense of responsibility, is that majority of those ministers were not picked on merit, so how do you expect them to perform any magic? I can tell you that this is not a listening government, so they must surely come short of expectation. We are close to what is happening in Vene[/b]zuela
— Sen. Maeba Also speaking, Sen Maeba said: “It is very unfortunate that this government came under the pretence of change and miracle. But I keep asking whether the spirit of change has failed them or they refused to live up to their promises. I pray that this country’s situation does not get to what is happening in Venezuela right now
Buhari needs to embark on overdrive—Agbakoba Agbakoba said: “So, I think the President needs to go into overdrive. Everywhere you go, there is gloom and I think that gloom was what manifested at the town hall meeting.” That is Buhari’s problem —Babatope Babatope reacted thus: ‘’Those are Buhari’s problems.”
Nigerians need a clear path—Utomi Utomi said: “We have to do something more fundamental, it is not a one day wonder. However, it is important for people to see a clear path that you are travelling, it makes it easier for them to know that they will get to their destination.”
[b] Presidency should do something about non-performing ministers —Tsav Alhaji Abubakar Tsav , said: “People are suffering so much, salaries are being owed. Nigerians expected that they will reduce the hardship in the country but they are more interested in going about to talk. People are tired of listening to things they did not do.
