Prominent Nigerians from different walks of life, yesterday joined issues with President Muhammadu Buhari over his declaration that the nation is broke. The President had in an interview with the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, and Channels TV shortly before he left New Delhi, India where he participated in the third summit of the India- Africa Forum said that “Nigeria is broke.”
Those who spoke on the issue include Second Republic governor of old Kaduna State Alhaji Balarabe Musa, former Secretary to the Lagos state Government and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Olorunfunmi Bashorun, a former Minister of Aviation under the late General Sanni Abacha regime, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, the President of the Trade Union Congress, TUC Comrade Bobboi Bala Kaigama, and a former pesidential aspirant and founder of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Chief Chekwas Okorie. While Balarabe Musa, and Babatope raised posers for the president, Bashorun, Kaigama and Okorie agreed with him. Kaigama, however warned that labour will not accept that as an excuse to owe workers salaries.
Balarabe categorically declared that Nigeria is not broke, adding that a country with enormous human resources, a flourishing agricultural profile and tremendous crude oil deposits, cannot be said to be broke. On people, (human resources), he said “when you have people, you have everything. If you have 170 million people, you have 170 million ideas and it is not possible to fail just like that. What we need is leadership.” He flayed the government over what he called inactivity since it took the reins of power five months ago. “Our agricultural potential is great. What we need now is a government that can perform. We have APC government that is in power, and for five months they are not doing anything, and all they are saying is that Nigeria is broke.”
He accused the president of having an insight into the economy before he assumed power, wondering why he is making an issue of it now, if not to score some cheap popularity and political point. “ He knew it before he came to power. Nigeria has been broke for some time now. It didn’t start yesterday.”
He therefore, challenged the president to quit lamenting and get down to work. “The question is what is he prepared to do now to stop the country from being broke, instead of lamenting. He should not just throw his hands up, and be singing that the country is broke. He should start doing something.” For Bashorun, evidence of bankruptcy abounds everywhere: “I am also a business man. It is very easy to see it. Money is not moving round. The economy is short of funds. Government is the biggest organization that funds the economy. Today, contractors are not paid, workers salaries are not paid. There are abandoned projects everywhere. Look at the revenue allocation for this month. It was a paltry N366billion as against N860billion sometime in the past.” The former chairman of the Lagos chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) traced the cause to the fall in oil prices which is the mainstay of the economy.
He also blamed the situation on squandermania, and massive stealing by government officials. “Maybe, if they get back some of the monies stashed abroad, the country will bounce back.”, he enthused.
Basorun said that former President Goodluck Jonathan would have faced more problems if he came back, because of his style of administration. He said the evolving economic straits is a warning that everyone should belt up, even as he revealed that the Revenue Allocation and Fiscal Commission is in the process of reviewing the emoluments of all categories of officials to reflect the dwindling economic fortunes.
Bapatope flatly disagreed with the president that the country is broke. He said: “I don’t know what he means by that. Awo never agreed that a nation can ever go broke. The economy is tied to the programmes and priorities of a government. I know that there are hard times, but the country is not broke. Economic problems have been with us since the country came into being, except during the oil boom days. He knows where the shoe pinches, since he is the one wearing it, and he should also know how to fix it. That is why Nigerians elected him.”
Kaigama affirmed that since he is the president, his views on the economy should not be doubted. He, however tasked him to make disclosures on his efforts to tackle the problem. “What efforts is he making to fix it.?These are the questions before him. As workers, we will never accept the non-payment of workers’ salaries.”
Similarly, Okorie said Nigerians should not doubt him on the state of the economy, adding, however that he is not surprised at the development.” “What is missing is that he didn’t say what he will do to put it right. That is his own challenge. He needs to do a budget that is his own budget. In the light of this new information, we hope to see a 2016 budget that will project the Buhari economic agenda, geared towards resuscitating the economy,” he said.
-Emmanuel Ikechukwu
