Former National Legal Adviser of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muiz Banire, has criticised political leaders for holding meetings abroad “while pretending to be committed to the good of Nigeria”.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that as Nigerians groan under the nation’s severe economic crunch, their politicians, especially state governors and a few presidential hopefuls have taken to flying to Europe for their horse-trading over next month’s elections.
Since the party primaries last year, politicians like Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC); and Atiku Abubakar, flag-bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), have flown to different European nations almost monthly for strategic meetings and negotiations over the presidential election.
Banire is displeased with this.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) wrote on his known Twitter handle on Sunday: “I am constrained to briefly talk about two things that are becoming ridiculous to me and an embarrassment to the country.
“The first is the unbridled appetite of the political leaders to convene and hold meetings in countries abroad while pretending to be committed to the good of the country.
“I am quite sure that there is nothing that could be that confidential as per developmental issues that would warrant such sojourn. In fact, in my humble view, it must be something adverse to the interest of the country which explains why it could not be discussed locally.
“I believe that in most of the said foreign discussions and instances, it is usually dominated by ‘share and share alike ’ arrangements, bordering on greed and selfishness. What is secret about developmental discussions that the discussion must be shipped outside?”
He added: “Let me even be pragmatic and say the issues borders on political strategy? How is that critical enough that it must be taken outside the shores of the country? Is it really worth the enrichment of the foreign economy involved at the expense if our scarce foreign exchange?
“Just imagine the amount spent on transport fares, hotels and other logistics, which most times are borne by the public treasury. Still, we complain about dearth of foreign exchange in the country.
“Also Imagine the man hours of the state spent abroad, as you know, this is common amongst the Governors and those with access to public offices.
“It is either they are in Dubai, London or France. God dey o! Nigerians need to stop this insolence of the political class. Can we put it as part of our considerations for 2023 polls?”
