A Katsina Senator, Kanti Bello has said he has regrets over the way the Buhari administration has handled things in the last two years.
The former Senate Majority Whip, who represented Katsina North Senatorial District on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before joining the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), in an interview with The Tribune spoke about his fears and the chances of the party in the forthcoming 2019 elections.
He added that while he was still a member of the party, he was disappointed in the way the party ran the economy, stating that the economy was worse off than it was, two years ago.
“I thought that a government, when it comes to Buhari, will be able to put smiles on the faces of Nigerians.”
“I know that there are some difficulties; I know that the price of oil has gone down. I know all that but the human expectations, of the ordinary people, the way the government works, I can say 90 per cent of Nigerians are disappointed.”
“And the simple reason is this; when we voted for this government, we believed, it was not only corruption that we wanted it to stop. We also felt that ordinary people should have enough to eat; they should have work to do.”
“We expected some of our factories, especially up North here, would be revitalised. But look at what is happening. I can tell you, no nation with 120 million people can live and be a great nation when it has to import the food it will eat and it has to import clothing.”
He further emphasized a practical comparison between the obvious economic differences in the country between the Jonathan and the Buhari administration and added that while the government did a lot to fight corruption, it had failed in other aspects.
He, however, noted a little improvement while Buhari was away on medical leave with Ag. President Osinbajo at the helms of affairs.
“Look at our economy, it has been so bad; the exchange rate, they say it has been improving. Improving? From N160 to a dollar, now it is N368 to a dollar. Is that an improvement?
“Two years ago, it was N160 to the dollar. Is that something to be proud of? It reached almost N500. We thank the acting president, because each time he comes in, there seems to be some improvements in the way things are done. We don’t know why it is happening that way. Maybe it is his luck, but there are some little improvements.”
Making use of his home state, he used the economic hardship that his people were experiencing as a case in point to highlight the failings of the Buhari administration.
“……in Katsina, where I come from, people are finding it difficult to eat three times a day, not even two times. Things are difficult. The economy is so bad, whatever you are buying, and inflation has tripled.”
“A bag of maize that used to sell at N4,000 when Buhari took over is now selling at N16,000 and at that price, people aren’t getting it to buy.”
“So, all we are saying is that Buhari and his APC government hasn’t solved our problems. I am part of that government and I apologise to the masses that our economic policy is a failure.”
“We have scored 50 per cent on security but certainly the economic policy of the government has failed the masses, because I am part of the masses. People aren’t living well in this country. That’s the truth.”
He also questioned the recovery and retrieval of monies collected from corrupt officials, adding that the money should be pumped into the economy to improve it. But that instead, no one knows where the money goes.
He also added that at this rate there is not much that will be achievable by the administration and APC will lose the 2019 elections with the way things are turning out.