Group describes Buhari's stance on restructuring as retrogressive, callous
- Reactions are still trailing President Muhammadu Buhari's new year's day address to Nigerians
- The president's speech indicates that he is against the calls for restructuring
- This has infuriated the Advocacy for Integrity and Economic Development (AIED)
The Advocacy for Integrity and Economic Development (AIED) has described the decision of President Muhammadu Buhari to jettison the nationwide demand for restructuring in Nigeria as a retrogressive and callous act.
In a statement signed by its deputy director, Adekoya Boladale and sent to NAIJ.com, the organization frowned at the stand of the president, calling it a myopic decision guided by sentiment and archaic reasoning.
President Buhari's decision not to support restructuring has infuriated the AIED. Photo credit: Aso Rock
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Part of its statement read: “We read with shock the new year's address of President Buhari where he made an open disdain for the resounding clamour for proper restructuring of this country.
“It is important we draw the attention of the president to his promise on restructuring and power devolution while seeking for power in 2015:
“_Initiating action to amend the Nigerian Constitution with a view to devolving powers, duties, and responsibilities to states in order to entrench true federalism and the federal spirit.
“It was on the strength of this promise, alongside numerous others that Nigerians voted for President Buhari, it is therefore absurd that he can turn around and betray this solemn oath.
“Any progressive leader worth his salt will agree that while process is germane for productivity, process without a distinctive structure encourages redundancy.”
The group also picked holes in the president's speech, describing it as a “cacophony of deceptions, patronizing and a psychological blackmail.”
The statement said: “President Buhari did not have a single progress report to give on his flagship anti-corruption campaign having realized that his administration has not only inculcated graft but knighted same in the nucleus of every section of our nation's life.
“The Buhari-led administration has failed in all ramification and an emergency attempt influenced by the desire for a second term will not clean the monumental mess this government has made.”
Meanwhile, President Buhari’s new year address has been described as ‘depressing’ by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to the PDP, the president failed to use the occasion of the speech delivery to offer Nigerians hope, adding that the speech was a boring litany of buck passing, lame declarations and barefaced attempt to appropriate and claim credit for achievements and landmark projects which it had initiated.
READ ALSO: New Year speech: Walk the talk - Lagos House of Assembly tells Buhari
Nigerians want PDP back in 2019 - Goodluck Jonathan declares - on NAIJ.com TV
Source: Naija.ng