By Willy Eya and Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Board member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and elder statesman, Ebenezer Babatope has described President Muhammadu Buhari first year in office as a painful period for Nigerians.
He said the president needed prayers from all Nigerians while he urged Buhari to make haste in bringing about a positive change in the situation to alleviate the sufferings of the masses.
Babatope said: “The one year we are celebrating is one of pain. President Muhammadu Buhari admitted in his one year anniversary speech that there is suffering in the land. Let him make sure that he changes the situation. “The truth is that Nigerians are suffering today, but, when there is life, there is hope. We should all pray for him.’’
In his own reaction, rights activist and legal practitioner, Labaran Shehu, hailed the May 29 democracy day speech of President Buhari, describing it as inspiring.
The Abuja-based lawyer, who spoke with Daily Sun, said the speech covered all grounds on burning national issues.
He said: “The speech was heart-warming and provided a road map for positive development in the area of manpower and infrastructure.
”Beyond that, the speech addressed issues of security, corruption, state of the economy, health, decayed infrastructure, agriculture and education, which Nigerians have been clamouring for.
”Although some people are criticising him for not naming looters as he had promised, I think it was deliberate, based on legal advice. It is now left for Nigerians to give him the needed support for him to deliver on his premise.”
Meanwhile, National Chairman of Labour Party, Alhaji Abdulkadir Abdulsalam and former House of Representatives’ committee chairman on Sports, Godfrey Gaiya, have expressed disappointment, arguing that there was nothing inspiring in the president’s speech.
Speaking in separate interviews with Daily Sun in Abuja, while Abdulkadir maintained there was nothing to celebrate in the past one year under the APC government, Gaiya lamented that almost six months in to the new fiscal year, the budget has not been implemented one percent.
Gaiya said: “There is nothing in the speech, particularly, as he did not say anything about my constituency, sports. In any case, all that he said were more or less a repetition of all he had said before.”
Similarly, Abdulkadir said: “President Buhari was rambling in preamble because, according to him, his speech was hinged on consolidation and achievements. But, he has not done anything to consolidate, there is no achievement. We can only continue to pray.”