Sophia Michaels
The ruling All Progressives Congress has said it is not true that former President Muhammadu Buhari sold the future of Nigerians.
The party was replying the Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, after he blamed former President Muhammadu Buhari for the current economic challenges and hardship Nigerians are facing.
Mutfwang, who made the statement during Tuesday’s swearing-in of his special advisers and heads of agencies at the Government House in Jos, claimed the past administration has mortgaged the future of the economy.
Reacting in an exclusive chat, National Director of Publicity for the APC, Bala Ibrahim, frowned at Mutfwang’s utterances, saying it was obvious the Plateau governor was merely playing to the gallery and displaying some level of ignorance.
While exonerating Buhari from the current economic travail, Ibrahim stated those who know Buhari even as a military leader and former petroleum minister understand that he can’t do anything to jeopardise the economy.
He said, “I will say the governor is probably displaying his ignorance of macro and micro-economies. When you talk about mortgaging the country or selling oil upfront for the future, I think he needs to go and learn how oil is marketed at the Rotterdam market. There are countries that produce oil, sell for upward of 10 years and payments made upfront. It is normal in the oil business. It didn’t start with Buhari even such a thing happened during his administration.
“For his (Mutfwang) information, Buhari is very versed and experienced when it comes to oil marketing and economy having been minister of petroleum during the military regime. He has also been one head of state that built two refineries during his time. So he is very conversant with the economics of oil and anyone who knows Buhari will tell you he won’t do anything that will shortchange the country or put the future of Nigeria in jeopardy.
“On the issue of money printed, I believe that is being investigated by the National Assembly and I don’t want us to start pre-empting the outcome. The governor is just playing to the gallery. It is not something new but a normal statement expected from the mouth of the opposition. But in playing opposition, I always like people to play constructive and not destructive criticism.”
