By Sule Tahir (Jigawa State Correspondent, in Dutse)
Worried by the prevailing socio-economic challenges in Nigeria, a former federal lawmaker, Senator Dino Melaye, has pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to take the country back to where he met it in 2015.
Speaking in a telephone conversation with NIGERIAN NEWSLEADER Correspondent on the current state of the nation, Senator Melaye said that everything has gone from bad to worse since 2015 when the current ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government took over power from the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP).
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari's government is "worse than the worst military regime that Nigeria has had". He also claimed the APC regime has come to destroy even things that were functional during the PDP administration, in terms of security, economy and infrastructure.
Dino said, “I will say that while I’m not an apologist of military government, what we have in this country from 2015 till date, is worse than military government. That’s why I said we’re living in perilous times. There’s confusion in the land and this country has never been divided the way it is today. Not even during the civil war".
Senator Melaye who was specific on security, however lamented over what he described as the unprecedented level of insecurity in the nation, claiming that "our security is in shambles. No security anywhere in this country now. People are not safe and secured.
"The roads are not safe. Even these days, when you’re in your house, people will come and abduct you from your home. We’re in a situation near to surrendering to God Almighty alone. We’re in a government without governance", the ex-lawmaker stated.
He added that, “Secondly, no one is sure of where his or her next meal will come from. We’re in a democracy where the President has lost control of the nation's economy and virtually everything. The President, has, from his expression, shown that he is incapacitated. We’re in a comatose situation now".
According to Senator Dino Melaye, the "country is on the edge. Nigeria is at the precipice. We have never had a leadership failure like this. Never! Not even in Liberia or Sudan do we have this kind of leadership failure and at all levels. The APC has failed Nigerians. The APC has invited chaos, insecurity, kidnapping and banditry.
“We’re just in a sorry state as a nation. The truth of the matter is that if there was hope, we’ll be living on hope, but as I speak to you, there’s no hope! The situation gets messier on a daily basis. We’re in a situation where the only thing you hear from your President is ‘I’m not aware’ or I condemn’. How long will he continue to condemn?
"My appeal to President Buhari, therefore, is that he should kindly take the country back to where he met in 2015. And I’m sure Nigerians will celebrate him if will do that. Nigerians will clap for him and eulogize presidency.
“Let him take us back to where we were in 2014 and early 2015 when he came on board, when my flight ticket from Abuja to Lagos (economy class) is N23,000 only. Today, the same flight route goes for N80,000. Let him take us back to when a loaf of bread was N200. Today, the same size of bread is between N600 and N800.
"Buhari should take Nigeria back to 2014 when I used to buy a litre of diesel for N180. Today, the same litre of diesel sells for N800. The President should simply take us back to that era. He should take us back to when the house rent I paid for my staff and people was affordable. Today, the same house rent is over 200%.
“The APC government should take us back to that era, when we were secured. I could still travel by road then. I can hardly do that now, for fear of my life. Nothing that the APC met in 2015 is better today. They should take us back to that era when the naira exchanged for N180 to a dollar. Today, I buy dollar for over N600", Senator Melaye said. NNL.
