PDP berates Buhari over comments on illegal migrants

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s statement to German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, that Nigerians caught up in their attempt to illegally enter the Europe are on their own.

The party said Buhari’s comments further exposed him as an insensitive leader, who doesn’t care about the plight of his compatriots.The PDP, in a statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, said while it does not, in any way, support illegal migrations, it does not warrant incendiary statement against citizens by no less a person than the President, who should be seeking ways to solve the problem.

The party noted that such statements by the President fuel violent attacks and inhuman treatment being meted out to Nigerians abroad, including those with legitimate documents and who engage in lawful activities.

The party said President Buhari has shown he is not bothered that no fewer than 10,000 Nigerians died in the deserts between January and May 2017 alone, while trying to escape the economic hardship and escalated insecurity occasioned by his misrule.“Is it not disturbing to Mr. President that reports by Nigerian Immigration Services showed that more Nigerians have been trapped in detention and slave camps in various parts of the world?

“Is it not also an act of gross leadership failure that, in his outburst against Nigerians, President Buhari admitted that they left in search of “greener pastures”, yet he could not articulate any solution to mitigate the suffering his administration has unleashed on our nation in the last three years,” the party queried

The PDP said it is the President’s duty, as elected leader of government, to pursue the fundamental human rights of his citizens, as well as find solution to the problems pushing Nigerians to adopt illegal migration, irrespective of the huge risks, as option for survival.

The party lamented that in another exhibition of incompetence; President Buhari could not articulate a strong response to the economic proposals brought by the German leader, thereby squandering the nation’s opportunity to benefit from her visit.