Reno Omokri, former aide to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, has lashed out at the Minister for Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, over his statement that the immediate past government plunged Nigeria into recession.
Fashola, a former governor of Lagos State while speaking at a Town Hall meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, claimed that Jonathan never wanted to be in charge of the country’s affairs during recession, hence, the reason he conceded defeat to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
He maintained that the Jonathan administration did not only plunge the nation into recession, but pushed it into debts.
Omokri, while reacting to Fashola’s claims on his Twitter page said there was no recession during the Jonathan-led administration.
He explained that instead, the Buhari administration is known for plunging Nigeria into recession and poverty.
The former presidential spokesman wrote: “I am surprised that rather than help Buhari, look for his invisible WAEC certificate (allegedly been ‘kidnapped’ by the army),Tunde Fashola persists in slandering Goodluck Jonathan, saying he only conceded 2015 elections due to the impending recession.
“Fashola knows there was no ‘impending recession’ at any time when Jonathan was President. What was on the horizon was economic boom as evidenced by CNNMoney which projected Nigeria as the third fastest growing economy in the world in 2015.
“Fashola knows ex-President Jonathan handed over a robust economy to Buhari, with a single digit inflation rate (it is now double digit), a Petrol Pump Price of ₦87 (it is now ₦145) and a Naira valued at ₦199 to $1 (it is now ₦365 to $1)
“Fashola is aware economic conditions under Jonathan was much better than today. Gallop polls rated Nigeria under Jonathan as the ‘happiest nation on earth. Today, the World Economic Forum rates Nigeria world headquarters for extreme poverty.”
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