Reuben Abati berates government officials for peddling falsehood

- Former presidential spokesperson, Reuben Abati, has reacted to some comments by officials of the present administration

- Abati accused the government officials of peddling only one side of the story regarding recession

- He described them as serial liars

Former presidential spokesperson, Dr Reuben Abati has berated officials of the present administration of always peddling falsehood.

Reuben Abati berates government officials for peddling falsehood

According to Daily Post, Abati said there was danger in peddling a single side of the story of how Nigeria’s recession started as championed by President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet.

Abati stated that Jonathan administration rebased the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the nation and made Nigeria the largest economy in Africa.

He also said the immediate past government attracted N1.15 trillion naira in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in less than six months in power and revived the automotive, railway and agricultural industries.

His words: “There is something about the danger of a single story. If you look at the Jonathan government, at the risk of defending that administration, under that administration the GDP was the rebased and Nigeria became the largest economy in Africa.

“As at 2014, Nigeria had become the number one Foreign Direct Investment destination in Africa. Within the first half of 2014, this economy has gained from FDI alone about N1.15 trillion. In fact, that same year, for the first time in Africa, the World Economic Forum held in Nigeria; which was a kind of endorsement of what was been done by that administration at that time.

“It was also under that administration that the auto motive industry was revived. It was under that administration that the national railway was revived. It was under that administration that the agricultural sector became very robust.

“I am not here to come and offer a defense but the danger of the single story is that it ends up repeating a lie until you assume that people will believe it. I think that people should double check some of these things.”

Meanwhile, British weekly magazine, The Economist has stated that Nigeria’s best chance of reform in the short run is for President Muhammadu Buhari to stay longer in London.

President Buhari has been in London since January 19. The presidency had first announced that he was there for a 10-day leave. But he has since extended the leave on medical grounds.

The Nigerian economy seems to have bounced back to reckoning after Acting President Yemi Osinbajo took over governance.