Delta deputy gov, Monday Onyeme.
The Deputy Governor of Delta State, Mr Monday Onyeme, said on Sunday that Nigeria was better when the Peoples Democratic Party was in power.
He, however, urged Nigerians not to despair but to work with the PDP to redeem the country.
Onyeme made the call on Saturday when non-working members of the PDP’s State Executive Committee paid him a courtesy visit to Asaba.
He said, “Nigerians learned lessons the hard way by voting for the All Progressives Congress.
“When the PDP was leading the nation on a progressive trend with the fuel pump price at N87 per litre and Nigerians were enjoying democratic freedom, they fell prey to the razzmatazz of APC’s ‘change’ mantra.
“Our government, the PDP-led government, pegged fuel price at N85 per litre and those in APC said Nigeria must fall if the price was not reduced, today, Nigerians are tired of grumbling about fuel price, the freedom to protest is no longer there.
“When we were in charge of the affairs of this country, Nigerians enjoyed democratic freedom, people were free to complain and protest and the government would give them listening ears.
“We are yet to see the last increase in fuel price, the situation is affecting everybody, but there is hope. Let us rally around PDP and redeem our country, we will be happy again as Nigerians.”
He called on PDP members to remain loyal to the party, adding that Nigerians needed them at this time to salvage the country
“Our dear members of the PDP, don’t get tired whether in office or out of office, be strong and remain loyal to the party.
“You will not know the benefits of the PDP until you are not there in the party. Remember that Nigeria and Nigerians need you.
“What we are experiencing is APC theory, they are deciding what happens and we pray that God will intervene, we should also work very hard to return PDP to power,” he said.
The deputy governor thanked the PDP executive for visiting him and congratulated those who won elections into different positions in the party.
He assured those who were not assigned any role yet in the party that he would reach out on their behalf to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, for them to continue rendering services to Delta people.
Earlier, the Chairman of the non-working members of the PDP state executive, Mr Morgan Ogapha, who spoke through the Assistant Legal Adviser of the party, Hessington Okolo, said they remained committed to serving the party and the Kwara people.
Meanwhile, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State, Mr Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, on Sunday, lamented the non-implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the suspension of Customs duties and taxes on imported food items, two months after the initiative was announced.
He recalled that on August 7, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, promised that the implementation of the policy would commence the following week, once the guidelines were ready.
The ex-lawmaker said since the initiative was part of the measures to combat rising food inflation across the country, there should be no delay in its implementation.
“The President should ensure that every bureaucratic bottleneck impeding the swift implementation of policies that will put smiles on the faces of the masses is removed.
“The economic suffering the masses are currently going through is becoming unbearable and the President must act fast,” he said.
