Baarah MP Ibrahim Shujau stated last night that President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu worked the hardest even during former President Abdulla Yameen’s administration, in his capacity as the then Housing Minister.
Speaking at a PNC hub meeting held in AA. Ukulhas, he said that when Yameen’s five-year term ended in 2018 and power was handed over to the MDP, there would be one billion USD in the state treasury.
Noting that this was not solely Yameen's work, Shujau said that this was the hard work of those who are currently in the PNC leadership. Expressing praise for President Muizzu, Shujau said it was especially His Excellency's work.
Highlighting that the Maldives' development projects were entrusted to the Housing Ministry at the time, Shujau said that the entire system was run through that ministry.
Shujau said that the Housing Ministry was a place operating 24 hours back then, and that those who worked with the then Housing Minister Muizzu would know this.
Shujau noted that President Muizzu was someone who remained at the service of the public 24 hours a day even back then.
"President (Yameen) would not pick up the phone back then. Couldn't be reached. He would say go to Muizzu. The entire state system was operated through the Housing Ministry. This is not a lie. In every matter, even if it was at night, President Muizzu had to be called then," Shujau said.
"That wasn't work done by President Yameen alone. We had a senior team, and we did that work together. President Yameen spent many nights busy playing cards. Yet today he says it was all done during his presidency. That presidency was completed with all of us."
According to Shujau, President Muizzu was able to win the Malé Mayoral election because the public accepted that he was the one who performed the hardest tasks during Yameen's presidency.
"When President Muizzu ran for mayor, a hundred percent, MDP majority council of 11 years was easily handed over to President Muizzu because the residents of Malé knew that President Muizzu was the one who did President Yameen's hardest work during that administration," Shujau said.
"So how can full credit be given entirely to President Yameen?"
Shujau said that when the PNC assumed office, it had been around six months since the state financial records were published. He also said that the MDP government had "eaten up" the country's economy.
Shujau alleged that this was evidenced when the MDP, at the very beginning of this administration, misused the majority it had in parliament to initiate efforts to remove President Muizzu from power.
According to him, the party must remain steadfast in assisting the government's efforts to resolve the issues created by the MDP government.
