Ndubuisi Orji and Juliana Taiwo Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, said the alleged failure of President Muhammadu Buhari to seal any economic agreement at the just concluded 7th Tokyo International Conference on Africa Development (TICALD7) is an indication that no country wants to do business with him.
In a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the opposition party said it was embarrassing that President Buhari returned from Japan with only promissory notes.
It expressed sadness that the country, which under the past administration led by the opposition party, became one of the world’s fastest growing economies and a hub for Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), is allegedly becoming a pariah under the Buhari-led Federal Government.
“It is lamentable that while President Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) are reducing our nation by celebrating a mere pledge of $300,000 (about N108 million) from the Japanese Prime Minister and a promissory note for 50 million Euros from an EU Commissioner, his Ghanaian counterpart, Nana Akufo-Ado had sealed a deal with automobile giant, Toyota, to immediately establish a Toyota and Suzuki manufacturing plant in Ghana with a determined timeline of August 2020 for production.
“The multinational had also signed a deal to establish a similar plant in neighbouring Ivory Coast with a Memorandum of Understanding to that effect already signed last Thursday.
“It is instructive to note that Toyota announced that it preferred to site the plant in Ghana because of the favourable economic climate prevailing in the country; a climate, which has taken flight from Nigeria under President Buhari and worsened since the rigging of the Presidential election.
“This development plainly shows that the time is gone when world leaders and investors embraced manipulated elections and governments that do not have the mandate of their citizens,” Olagbondiyan added.
Meanwhile, President Buhari has returned to Abuja from Yokohama, Japan.
His plane, NAF 001 touched down at about 11:37 Saturday night at the Presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja. The Special Assistant to the President on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, made the announcement through his verified Twitter handle @BashirAhmaad. The president has presented Nigeria’s Statement at Plenary Session Three on “Public-Private Business Dialogue.”