The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has berated President Buhari’s recent appointment of Dr. Doyin Salami as the new Chief Economic Adviser, labelling the move as a strategic means to transfer the consequences of the woeful APC government to the economist.
Dr. Doyin Salami, an internationally acclaimed economist with about 12 years of experience in national policymaking, was appointed recently to fill in the executive role which had previously been left unoccupied since the beginning of the Buhari administration.
The opposition party criticized Buhari’s appointment, which came “barely a year to end of his disastrous administration”, as a facade, an avenue to defend his tragic leadership.
They emphasized that the leading party has never demonstrated any esteem for professional advice in their policy-making processes and overall governance. According to them, the appointed Dr. Salami is prone to a future of being disparaged and belittled as nothing more than a titular adviser. They maintained that the president will hardly hearken to any proposal that the economist will present towards national economic growth.
The issued statement read, “As long as the APC, with its insensitivity to the plight of Nigerians, is in government, involved professionals like Dr. Salami can never make headway but risk being smeared with failure.
“If the APC government did not listen to Dr. Salami as the Head of the hurriedly established Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC), it will not now take his advice in his new capacity because the APC government lacks the listening ears, competence, capacity, integrity and political will and desire for good governance.
While it is noteworthy that the Buhari-led administration has witnessed two recessions in less than seven years, it is difficult to put a direct cause to it. However, there is perceived laxity in the government’s keenness for making strategic economic appointments, as was demonstrated in the hurried inauguration of a Presidential Economic Council, earlier in the administration.
The PDP’s statement continued to elaborate on the laissez-faire attitude of the APC government towards the economy
“President Buhari and the APC have never prioritized the economy. The result is a near collapsed economy with two recessions within six years; a 71 percent poverty rate, 33.1 percent unemployment rate, over $38 billion external debt, and an unenviable national status as the poverty capital of the world. For this, they desperately seek to use renowned professionals like Dr. Salami as fall guys especially as we approach the 2023 general elections.
“If President Buhari and the APC had listened to well-thought-out advice by patriotic Nigerians as well as the PDP on how to stabilize and grow the economy, our nation would not be in the current economic quagmire where over 80 million Nigerians can no longer afford their daily meals and other basic necessities of life.”
The party finally warned Dr. Salami of this new role, underlining that the economist will be making futile efforts.
“For emphasis, our Party admonishes Dr. Salami to note that his task of advising an incompetent, arrogant and corrupt administration would be grueling if not a complete waste of time.”
