Dr. Chris Ngige, the minister of labour and employment, chastised former president Olusegun Obasanjo for disparaging Major General Muhammadu Buhari (ret.) in his message to Nigerians for the new year.
According to the former governor of Anambra State, the four leading presidential candidates have the necessary and relevant experience to run the nation’s affairs. He claimed he will neither advocate for nor against any of them.
Ngige identified the presidential contenders as Alhaji Abubakar Atiku of the Peoples Democratic Party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, and Alhaji Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party in a Wednesday interview with journalists in his hometown of Alor, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The minister also gave some generous donations to the elderly, widows, and those in need in the neighborhood.
Ngige informed the large crowd assembled at the St. Mary’s Church Pavilion in Alor that since September, the Federal Government has asked that ministers return home to help their people.
He said that the country’s food and energy difficulties shouldn’t be attributed to the current administration because they affect countries all around the world, not only Nigeria.
Ngige disputed Obasanjo’s assertions that Nigeria had significantly regressed since he took office in 1999.
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He noted that the same Obasanjo, who was then President, had promised to build the Second Niger Bridge when serving as the governor of Anambra State, but had failed to do so due to a lack of commitment.
“I was the one who brought Buhari to the South East in 2015. As the South East Zonal Coordinator, I told the General that the bridge is critical to our people and the entire South, all the way up to North Central. The General asked if we could do it, and I said, ‘Why not?.’ The same question he asked at the Ziks Mausoleum completion, and he told me that if God made him president, he would construct the remodeling of the abandoned mausoleum for our people.
“I was the one who brought to the fore in our South East campaign the Second Niger Bridge, Enugu-Onitsha Expressway, and Enugu Airport renovation and remodelling, for which the Federal Government gave the Minister of Aviation, N10bn, the authority to execute the upgrade as critical infrastructural projects needed by the zone. Today, the tarmac was reconstructed and the runway expanded from one to three kilometres with modern night lighting systems and navigational aids and several other projects.
“So, President Buhari ought to be praised, but they will tell you that people are dying of hunger. Hunger is a global problem. If you go to the news, you will see white people protesting against hunger and the high cost of living in Europe and elsewhere,” he said.
Ngige cautioned that Buhari shouldn’t be held accountable for everything that has gone awry “under the sun” and that he should be left alone.
Ngige poked fun at the previous president Obasanjo by asking what policies he implemented to combat poverty during his eight years in office.
He continued, “Disregard those politicians who will come and tell you that the Buhari administration inflicted hardship and poverty on you. One of them wrote a letter the other day—the habitual national letter writer. It is easy to criticise.”
