The
National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP), Alhaji Abdulsam Abdulkadir,
has said his party does not agree that Nigeria is presently broke as
was claimed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
He
said based on the facts on ground and the value of resources available
to Nigeria, the country cannot to be in such a dire economic situation
as to justify it being broke.
“Firstly,
I think President Buhari is being economical with the truth,
considering the facts and the value of our resources. For him to say
that the nation is broke, was he saying we have not been selling our
crude oil as usual? Is he saying the Customs has not been generating
revenues for the country? What of other agencies of government? Are they
no longer generating funds for government?” the party leader asked.
Abdulkadir
said LP was amazed at the pronouncement of President Buhari who should
know that the economy stands the risk of plummeting in the absence of
clear economic policy direction and commitment to implementing such
solutions by government.
He
said as far as his party is concerned, there has not been any single
infrastructural project the present federal government has embarked on
since its inception more than five months ago.
According
to, Nigeria is still selling its oil, while other revenue yielding
agencies have continued to make returns to the coffers of government.
“If
all these resources are coming in, could the president tell the nation
that since he came into office the one project that he has initiated.
Let Buhari tell the nation how far he has implemented this year’s
budget.
“The
president has been spending money without appropriation, so let him
justify it and stop lamenting. He should have in place a concrete and
appropriate solution if he thinks that the nation is broke. For those of
us who have been observing the events in the country, we know that
Nigeria is not broke. The problem is rather that of lack of direction,
commitment, focus and lack of vision.
But to say that the nation is broke is far from the truth. This is not acceptable to the LP. Nigeria is not broke,” he stated.
But to say that the nation is broke is far from the truth. This is not acceptable to the LP. Nigeria is not broke,” he stated.
On the view that the economy
is being stifled because of the absence of an economic team to manage
it, the party chairman said the situation was affecting every sector in
the country.
According
to him, “Yes, it has to be. Every sphere of our endeavour is being
affected. One thing is clear-the economy would go down because there is
no provision for sustaining our infrastructure.
“Also,
part of what is adversely affecting our economy is the absence of the
full compliments of the cabinet team. No leader can operate without
having the right people surrounding him, who would advise him. There is
no way such person can succeed. “Presently, President Buhari has no
minister, no cabinet and there is no one to advise him appropriately.
The
technocrats cannot advise him because they are afraid of their jobs.
The political appointees who would have advised the president have not
been put in place. So, the earlier the president gives portfolios to his
ministers, the better. And how can the president say not all the 36
ministers he submitted for Senate approval will be given portfolios?
“The
ministers should be given portfolios, as what the president needs to do
is to block wastage after all how much is the salaries of the ministers
compared to the wastage that is still going on. The issue is that there
is no policy direction yet on how to arrest the economic downturn in
the country, only what comes to President Buhari’s head is wheat he
implements.
“Our
existing infrastructure is decaying by the day due lack of attention.
For instance, all the geo-politically zones in the country suffering bad
roads, most of the federal roads in places like the South-east,
South-west and North Central are dilapidated. Since the inception of the
All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration, there has not been
any single infrastructural project it embarked on.”
(c) This Day
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