THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has upbraided President Muhammadu Buhari over his remarks painting an unsavoury picture of the state of the economy.

But the Presidency said yesterday that Buhari will not, in the guise of “marketing” Nigeria, tell lies.

Speaking at a media briefing in New Delhi, India, President Buhari had declared that he would have to reduce the number of ministries to enable him pay workers. He also restated his commitment in the fight against corruption which he noted was endemic in the country.

However, the PDP in a statement at the weekend, claimed that Buhari’s comments could scare away investors. National Publicity Secretary Olisa Metuh said, “the President’s unwary statements have become a very serious clog in the wheel of progress, eroding the confidence of both domestic and international investors in the Nigerian economic and social system.

“In the last six months, our President has only succeeded in discouraging foreign investors with his continued misrepresentation of our country as a business unfriendly environment, where most of the citizens are basically corrupt, dishonest, and cannot be trusted.

“Whereas we have restated our total support for the war against corruption, we insist that Mr. President’s unceasing blanket negative labeling of citizens, in a country where millions of honest and hardworking individuals/firms are genuinely contributing daily to the development effort, is indeed a disservice and injurious to the nation and the people.

“Furthermore, Mr. President’s recent announcement to the world that the nation, with its abundant human and natural resources is broke and cannot pay ministers, not only sends a discouraging signal to the domestic and international business community, but also exposes the ineptitude of the present administration to meaningfully and sincerely exert itself and work with industrious and innovative investors to create and manage wealth,” Metuh said.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by the President’s spokesman, Femi Adesina, said Buhari will not in the name of “marketing” or “attracting” investors, “follow in the footsteps of the ousted PDP administration and its discredited officials who shamelessly lied to Nigerians and the world about the buoyancy and vibrancy of an economy they had bled dry for personal gain, when it was very obvious to the discerning, that the Nigerian economy was headed for serious trouble.

He said: “President Buhari will remain true to the virtues of honesty, integrity, sincerity, incorruptibility and plain-speaking which endeared him to Nigerians and made them prefer his leadership that of a lying and deceptive PDP administration.”