‘Buhari behaving like Father Christmas’ — Atiku slams $500,000 aid to Guinea Bissau

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (APC), has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to be more prudent with Nigeria’s resources instead of donating money to other countries “like Father Christmas”.

Abubakar gave the advice in reaction to the report that the federal government had approved a donation of $500,000 to the Republic of Guinea Bissau ahead of its November 18 legislative election.

Geoffrey Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, disclosed this when he received, Jose Filho, special representative of the United Nations secretary-general to Guinea Bissau in Abuja on Tuesday.

Onyeama said the federal government also approved electoral kits and vehicles to enhance the successful conduct of the country’s election.

He said Buhari’s gesture was to help Guinea Bissau get out of what has been a very difficult situation for a number of years.

However, in a statement on Sunday, Abubakar said Nigeria’s resources should be used for the country and its people.

He accused Buhari’s administration of persisting in “reckless wastefulness” of the country’s resources, wondering why a country named as the world headquarters for extreme poverty would rather donate her resources to others instead of solving its own pressing problems.

“Recently, we had cause to counsel the Buhari administration to be more prudent with national resources after the government declared its intention to sell national assets built by previous administrations to fund their business as usual 2019 budget,” he said in a statement which his campaign issued on his behalf.

“Apparently, rather than give heed to our pro bono patriotic advise, the Buhari administration is persisting in the financial profligacy that has seen them destroy a once thriving economy.

“In the latest instance, the Buhari government has announced that it is making a $500,000 donation to Guinea Bissau, along with other material donations.

“Our response is to ask why a nation that has been officially named as the world headquarters for extreme poverty, will donate her resources to others instead of using them to solve pressing domestic problems? This is the same government that is so cash strapped that it has so far borrowed ₦13 trillion in three years putting our economy in even greater peril.

“How prudent is it to go about taking loans from whomsoever cares to lend you money and then turn around to give out those same monies even when your own people are suffering the worst forms of poverty they have ever endured?

“We call on the Buhari administration to cut their coat according to their cloth. He should stop donating like Father Christmas. He should attend to the needs of Nigerians.”