Professor Jerry Gana has claimed that the degree of economic distress suffered by Nigerians at any time in the post-independence history of the country has been worst since the assumption of power of President Muhammadu Buhari to power in 2015.
Gana, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made this assertion at the weekend at the PDP Critical Stakeholders’ Retreat organised by the Kogi PDP Renaissance Group in Abuja.
Delivering his keynote address modified to reflect the substance of the theme, ‘Kogi PDP: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow,’ the Professor of Geography lamented the horrible state of affairs in the country, noting that under the watchful eyes of the global community, Nigeria has sunk deeply into a legion of artificially created challenges by the ruling party.
Read Also: Banditry: Tell Buhari He Has Failed, PDP Lambast Masari
He said, ‘The Misery Index in Nigeria is the worst in Africa. The level of indebtedness in the past few years is such that every Nigerian is now in debt. The Naira is perhaps one of the most useless currencies in Africa today. I have never seen this level of corruption as we have today. In fact, the level of corruption makes the PDP governments look like angels because corruption is now a thousand times worse.’
Gana went further to decry the insecurity in the land, noting that against the backdrop of the scourge of the twin evils of banditry and kidnapping; the PDP has the bounteous duty to rise to the challenge of leadership to send the All Progressives Congress, APC, packing not only at the state level but at the centre in 2023.
Against the backdrop of recent call by Governor Aminu Maisari for the people of Katsina to consider arming themselves to ward off frequent attacks by bandits; Gana tasked PDP leadership to think and reflect on life in its whole essence if Katsina could also afford to cry.
He said: ‘Governor Maisari was advocating recently that everyone in Katsina state should get a gun. Do you know where Katsina is? Do you know who comes from Katsina?‘ the rhetorical but punchy question awed his audience, who wasted no time in returning the favour by applauding the Professor for scores of seconds.
Ahead of the election in 2023, the PDP chieftain highlighted a number of factors capable of seeing the PDP coast home to victory. According to him, strategy, organization, grassroots presence, free, fair, credible primaries, justice, equity, and fairness as well as resources and logistics would combine to deliver victory to the party in 2023.
AFRICA TODAY NEWS, NEW YORK