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Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has strongly criticized the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, holding him accountable for the industrial decline in Nigeria.
Addressing supporters during the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign rally held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Oshiomhole alleged that Atiku was directly responsible for the shutting down of multinational tyre manufacturers Michelin and Dunlop within the state.
The former Edo State governor argued that Atiku, who frequently speaks on the current challenges of unemployment in the country, should first account for the manufacturing outfits that previously provided stable livelihoods for numerous citizens.
"Who closed down Nigerian industries? Who closed down Michelin? Who closed down Dunlop? Who reduced Nigeria to an importer of everything from underwear to socks? It was done by the government and party which Atiku belonged to," Oshiomhole queried during his address.
He further noted that the administration in which Atiku served as Vice President alongside former President Olusegun Obasanjo presided over the era when these major manufacturing firms were forced to cease operations and relocate.
Highlighting the socio-economic impact, Oshiomhole pointed out that Michelin and Dunlop served as massive employers of labor, and their exit resulted in thousands of workers suddenly losing their means of survival.
Concluding his remarks, the senator maintained that Atiku lacks the moral standing to campaign on job creation platforms when the administration he was part of failed to safeguard existing employment opportunities.