Buhari’s Govt, a Monumental Embarrassment – Dayo Awude
Honourable Dayo Awude is a former commissioner for Youths and sports in Ondo state, in this exclusive interview with Israel Fagbemigun of Nigerian cable news online, he shared his thoughts on some political issues, security challenges and personal experience while on political hustings.
Excerpt:
Q. Can we have a brief rundown of your profile sir?
A. I’m ‘Dayo Awude, a farmer, author and politician of the People’s Democratic Party extraction. As you know, I was among other offices held, a State Commissioner (Youth Development and Sports) in the last administration in Ondo State.
Q. How would you describe the political terrain in Ondo State and Nigeria as a whole?
A. Well, I’ve been involved actively in the politics of this nation since the inception of the fourth Republic in 1999. And I must tell you, we still have a long way to go. Things have gone bad under the present Buhari administration. So bad that the country has entered economic recession twice and it’s on the verge of another; the nation’s foreign reserve has been depleted almost to ground zero; the country’s generated electricity megawatt has dropped from almost 5,000 to a paltry 2,300 megawatts today. The foreign debt paid off by the Olusegun Obasanjo led PDP government has again risen to about $30B. Insecurity has gotten to a new height with the menaces of Bokoharam and the Fulani herdsmen destroying farm lands and putting the lives of farmers in danger. I can go on and on. The Buhari administration is a monumental disappointment.
Q. Are you not saying all these because you belong to the opposition party?
A. No, not at all. These are facts before the public. I have been a direct victim of Fulani Herdsmen attack. My farm was destroyed thrice. I was threatened on my farm with sophisticated weapons and I still do not feel safe even now because they haven’t left the vicinity and unfortunately, law enforcement agents appear handicapped because there is no law against open grazing in Nigeria. Very unfortunate.
On the political front, I was recently attacked and stabbed by thugs of the opposition party. I only survived by the grace of God. I’m you saw it on the news. The photographs abound. I thank God I survived all. And as the Lord liveth, we will not give up on this country. Nigeria belongs to us all.
