President Muhammadu Buhari has been told to use the occasion of his 78
birthday to seek forgiveness for the sins he committed against the
people of the South-West Nigeria, rather than going about celebrating
in the midst of his own people, whose over 300 children are being held
captive by terrorists.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the South-West, which
congratulated the President for reaching the age of 78, said God must
have kept him so that he can have enough time to ruminate over his
past misdeeds and seek restitution.
In a statement on Thursday, by the party’s Zonal Director of Media
and Publicity, Lere Olayinka, President Buhari was reminded how as
Military Head of State, he frustrated the progress of the the
South-West, abandoned the region when he was Chairman of the Petroleum
Trust Fund (PTF) under late General Sani Abacha and has done nothing
for the region since 2015.”
The South-West PDP said one of President Buhari’s major disservice to
the people of the zone was the cancellation of the Lagos Metroline
project embarked upon by the government of Alhaji Lateef Jakande,
adding that; “The Metroline project was scrapped by Buhari at a loss
of over $78 million to the Lagos tax payers. If Buhari had not
cancelled that project, transportation in Lagos would have been better
than it is now.
The party said; “Today, we thank God for taking our President this
far and congratulate him for attaining 78 years.
“However, it is expected that Mr President will be honest enough to
see today as an opportunity to seek forgiveness for his sins,
especially the ones he committed against the people of the South-West.
“It is on record that in 1984, he impounded the international passport
of the late sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo and prevented him from
visiting his doctors at Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota, USA. The
passport was only returned to him with courtesies by General Ibrahim
Babangida in 1985. It was however too late as Awolowo died in 1987!
“It is also on record that with President Buhari’s directive, Chief
Olabisi Onabanjo was abducted by military men while recuperating from
a surgical operation at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. He was
sent to Bauchi prison.
“President Buhari sent our notable leaders like Onabanjo, Jakande,
Chief Michael Ajasin, Bola Ige, Chief Bisi Akande and others to jail
for committing no offense other than showing commitment to the
development of the region and welfare of the people.
“Curiously, in April this year, when he was granting state pardon to
those he sent to jail as military Head of State, the President did
not remember to extend this pardon to Chief Bisi Akande, despite being
his party man and one of those who ensured his electoral victory in
2015 and 2019.
“Therefore, Mr President, as you celebrate your 78 birthday, take
heed to this wise counsel and seek forgiveness from the Almighty
Allah (Subhanahu wa ta’ala) and the people you have caused untold
sufferings, especially those in the South-West.”
