We spent much of 2016 clearing PDP mess, says Osinbajo

Acting President Yemi Osinbajo says the government spent much of 2016 clearing the mess it inherited from the government of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Muhammadu Buhari government was inaugurated on May 29, 2015, amid great celebrations.

But the loud ovation which greeted it at its inception soon turned into harsh criticism over its handling of the economy.

In a Democracy Day speech on Monday, Osinbajo said tremendous progress had been made in the past five months.

“One of the first tasks of the cabinet and the economic management team was to put together a Strategic Implementation Plan for the 2016 budget, targeting initiatives that would create a speedy yet lasting impact on the lives of Nigerians,” he said.

“Indeed, much of 2016 was spent clearing the mess we inherited and putting the building blocks together for the future of our dreams; laying a solid foundation for the kind of future that you deserve as citizens of Nigeria.

“In his budget presentation speech to the national assembly last December, President Buhari outlined our economic agenda in detail, and assured that 2017 -would be the year in which you would begin to see tangible benefits of all the planning and preparation work. It is my pleasure to note that in the five months since he delivered that speech, we have seen tremendous progress, as promised.”