Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Olisa Metuh, on Tuesday, said he has forgiven all those involved in his past ordeals, calling on Nigerians to move forward with unity and understanding.
The former PDP spokesman was accused of misappropriating N400m meant for security equipment purchase during the Goodluck Jonathan administration, and was arraigned during the late President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure.
Speaking to journalists in Abuja ahead of his 60th birthday, Metuh said, “The truth is that as I’m getting to 60, I have forgiven everyone. I have forgiven those who were involved. I’ve forgiven the judge. I’ve forgiven the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
I’ve forgiven some of the media that were used for the media trial. I’ve forgiven the key actors, prosecutors. I’ve forgiven everyone.
“I want us to move ahead. I thank God for my life. If God forgives me my sins and has let me live for 60 years, in spite of all the challenges that I faced, why can’t I forgive people?”
Reflecting on his journey, Metuh cleared the air that there was no issue of missing N400m.
“I want to tell Nigerians that there was no issue of N400m missing anywhere.
“The truth is that the money was provided by the last PDP government then. The money was there ahead of the campaigns. It had nothing to do with campaign money. It had nothing to do with security money.
“In court, we’ve been able to show the whole world that the money was actually given to me as the main man in a team led by the former BoT chairman, Chief Tony Anenih. There were people in the Presidency who were involved.
“There were people in academia. There were professors who were involved, and there were other people in the media who were involved. We had a track record, and we submitted the report.
“I remember the present Senate President (Godswill Akpabio) telling me that even the former president was shocked that I presented the report, and was commending me on how transparent what I did was,” he added.
Metuh also commended the government of President Bola Tinubu for what he described as a more tolerant posture.
“The present government, in a way, has been quite different from the last government, because the last government was too harsh on criticism. It was too harsh on those in the opposition. I am a survivor of the last government,” he added.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s democratic journey, he commended the political class for its contributions but noted that more work is required for democracy to fully deliver its benefits.
“Let’s talk about nation-building. I want to use this opportunity to encourage Nigerians.
“Let’s speak to them — the old, the young, those in the ruling party, those in the opposition, those who are not interested in what is happening in our democracy, even the business community. They should learn and imbibe the spirit of tolerance, forbearance and an accommodating spirit,” he said
Speaking on democracy in Nigeria, Metuh said the country had not fared badly, as he encouraged the political leaders to be more tolerant.
“As a democracy, we have not done badly. If you look at it, it has taken a lot of countries hundreds of years to develop. In Nigeria, there are major challenges to the progress of our democracy, but we have not done so badly.
“However, I want to encourage our leaders, those in the business class, those in the democratic space, to be more tolerant of our younger ones in the new media space.
“Whatever they do, whatever excitement they use, whatever zeal they use in speaking, in criticising, in mocking people; they should be tolerated, because there are challenges in this nation.
“On social media, the young ones in this new media do a lot of criticism to let off steam,” he said.
He warned against harassment based on criticism, adding: “There is no need to be clamping down on people, arresting people, the businessmen, leaders, because of what they do on social media. Let us be much more accommodating. Let us be much more tolerant.”
He faulted the ongoing constitution amendment process, describing it as an exercise repeated by every National Assembly but rarely concluded.
“Every single session of the National Assembly keeps on making constitutional amendments. At the end of the day, we do not get to the end of it.
“I have heard people talk about state creation. I don’t know, with the constitution as presently written and what we have on the ground, how do we get to do the state’s creation? We had opportunities in the past to do that. I don’t want to comment on the constitutional amendment because it’s a tall order,” he added.
Metuh also backed rotating the presidency among the six geopolitical zones, saying it would aid nation-building, accommodation, and tolerance.
On the state of the PDP, he urged the party to rise to the demands of opposition politics and hold the government to account.
“We need the PDP to rise up, to be much more forward in the way they are doing their opposition, as long as it is based on the policies and the programmes of the government.
I want to encourage the opposition parties, not only the PDP, but the Labour Party, the African Democratic Congress, the Young Progressives Party, to rise up and hold the government accountable in terms of the policies and programmes.
“That is the only way that democracy can thrive, and we can get the people in government to perform a lot better.”
Metuh further urged Nigerians to support the Federal Government in addressing the country’s security challenges.
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