By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja
Governors elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have declared that the communique issued at the end of their Monday’s meeting in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, was patriotic, well thought out and offered solutions to the miriad of problems facing the nation.
They have therefore urged President Muhammad I Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC)- led Federal Government should listen to the various issues raised in the communique rather than castigating them.
The PDP Governors’ Forum (PDP-GF’) said this in a statement yesterday by its Director-General, Hon. CID Maduabum in reaction to an earlier statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, Mallam Garba Shehu on behalf of the presidency.
The PDP Governors, in the communique, had raised what they called “patriotic and weighty issues of state”.
Mallam Shehu, in the statement by the presidency, had said that the PDP Governors’ Forum Communiqué was “a spectacular demonstration to the people of Nigeria as to why this party and its representatives should not be entrusted with national leadership of our country any time soon”.
However, the PDP-GF, in its statement yesterday by Maduabum insisted that their communique was, “patriotic, well thought out and offered solutions to the miriad of problems facing the nation. Mr President and the APC led Federal Government should listen”.
The statement by Maduabum reads, “
It is a demonstration of impunity and gross abuse of law for NNPC to continue to disregard the unmistakable mandatory constitutional provisions above.
“It is even more shocking for the presidency as an institution to embody the desecration of our Constitution in such a flippant, brazen and unserious manner as portrayed by the presidential spokesman.
“The statement (by the presidency) betrays the abysmal ignorance, lack of appreciation of the issues raised in the PDP Communique.
“It is unbelievable that such low quality response could come from Nigeria’s seat of power.
“He (Mallam Shehu) celebrates the non remittance of funds by NNPC to the Federation Account because they should not “break the bank” for PDP Governors. What a pity?
“The duty and responsibility of NNPC to pay revenues into the Federation Account is not a matter of discretion by NNPC. It is an imposition of law.
“The constitutional provisions on Public Revenue is clear. Section 162. (1) of the Constitution says: “The Federation shall maintain a special account to be called “the Federation Account” into which shall be paid all revenues collected by the Government of the Federation, except the proceeds from the personal income tax of the personnel of the Armed Forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry or Department of Government charged with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.”
“It is a demonstration of impunity and gross abuse of law for NNPC to continue to disregard the unmistakable mandatory constitutional provisions above.
“It is even more shocking for the presidency as an institution to embody the desecration of our Constitution in such a flippant, brazen and unserious manner as portrayed by the presidential spokesman.
“There is no doubt that President Buhari’s spokespersons are his greatest undoing as a President. They do not represent or position him well”, it said.
