Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said the People’s Democratic Party frittered away $383 billion in four years, rather than spend the funds on major infrastructure for the country.
Prof. Osinabjo disclosed this in Abuja, yesterday, at the 11th Bola Tinubu Colloquium, held to commemorate the birthday of the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari at the event, blamed past governments for being wasteful in times of abundance.
“I have said it before, Nigeria’s main problem is not a lack of ideas, it’s not. Most of the time, especially with the leadership of the past, it is lack of integrity in leadership and corruption in particular and it is the reason we are finding it difficult to make any progress.
“That is why we earned $383 billion in four years – 2010 to 2014 – the highest ever in the history of our country and yet Lagos-Ibadan expressway not done, all of what is being done today not done.
“We cannot point to a single major project, a single major infrastructure project that was completed in the ten years period despite the high wealth, including power. So, a government coming after so many years of waste must be a government that first, emphasises fiscal prudence, a government that emphasises integrity in public finance so that we manage the little resources we have to achieve the maximum that can be achieved and that is what president Muhammadu Buhari has set out to do.”
Osinbajo, who served as Tinubu’s Justice commissioner, also eulogised his former boss.
“We do it (the colloquium) in celebration of a man who has spent the last 30 years of his life in creative public service. Right from the days of being Lagos governor, he provided clarity of thought and rare vision in all aspects of life.
“Once in a while, I think history gives us people who are gifted, transformative leaders and I believe our country has been gifted by this transformative leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said.
Dignitaries at the event were APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, Tinubu’s wife and senator representing Lagos Central, Oluremi, Lagos State Governor, Akinwumi Ambode; his Kano counterpart, Abdullahi Ganduje, Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello as well as Zamfara Governor, Abdulaziz Yari.