The Osun State governor, Rauf Aregbesola, has urged President Goodluck Jonathan not to play politics with the ailing state of Nigeria’s economy.
The governor urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government to as a matter of urgency nip the issue of oil theft that has robbed the country of trillions of naira, in the bud.
Aregbesola gave the charge in Atakumosa West Local government in continuation of the All Progressives Congress campaign to drum up support for all the candidates of the party in the forth-coming general elections.
Aregbesola had earlier taken his campaigns to Orolu and Atakumosa East council areas of the state, telling residents that the only hope left for the masses is to see to the end of the Peoples Democratic Party rule at the Federal government level.
He held that if the said stolen crude oil is being prevented and blocked by the PDP and the federal government, such proceeds amounting to trillions of naira can be put to use in the development of rural roads all over Nigeria.
The governor while addressing the people of Ilaa-jesa, Isaobi, Isotun Osu and Ifewara among other rural settlements in the Local government said the Yoruba have never benefited anything good under the administration of the PDP.
According to the governor, “if the barrels of crude oil being alleged to have been stolen daily are blocked and prevented by the PDP controlled Federal government which amount to 1.7 trillion Naira, proceeds from such act could have provided about 2000 kilometers of rural roads across the country”.
He admonished the people of the area to query the Federal government on why the Osogbo-Ilesa and Osu-Ife roads which began seven years ago were abandoned.
He said, “Nigerians have never had it this bad in terms of hunger, insecurity, corruption, unemployment among others, the worst of it being the economic recession which made a dollar to exchange for 230 naira from 120 inherited by the Jonathan led administration.”
The governor also appealed to Christians to use the Lenten period to pray for the desired change the country truly deserves by voting for all the candidates of the APC in the National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
Aregbesola at the palace of the Asotun of Isotun Oba Prof. Akinola Adeniyi Owosekun II, alleged that, “if the wastages the Federal government is noted for are curtailed, no rural community will not benefit from the proceeds from crude oil being stolen daily.
“God in his mercy granted President Goodluck Jonathan the last four years as an economic independence period when crude oil was sold at 100 dollars per barrel, but what did the country witness, abandoned projects including the Alagbado-Ota bridge started by Chief Ernest Sonekan ‘s government,” the governor said.
On the comments of the president during his visit to the state that the country is buoyant and that his government is fulfilling its financial obligations to the state, the governor questioned why federal government workers are being owed salaries and allowances.
Aregbesola said his visit to the villages is to enable him assess and have first-hand information about the condition of the people.
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