by Janet Johnson
The Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Muhammadu Buhari on Monday, February 2, said he would take practical steps to strengthen Nigeria’s economy if elected.
Buhari disclosed this during a meeting with members of the Organized Private Sector, OPS, at the Lagos State Government House, Marina, in Lagos.
The meeting, which was tagged ‘GMD Means Business’, was to articulate Buhari’s economic plans for the nation.
Buhari said he would design economic policies tailored towards promoting the country’s prosperity and job creation. “Our economic plans will be practical and our policies for implementing our commitments will be governed by the highest consideration of how they create jobs,” he said.
He said he would create the enabling environment for industries to thrive stating that he would revive the textile mills and similar industries that once produced thousands of jobs for Nigerians.
Buhari further added that he would invest massively in infrastructure and open up opportunities through the construction of highways linking all parts of the country. “Road construction alone will unlock a value chain of opportunities in the building industry for construction companies, builders, cement and iron rod production and supply.
He declared that he planned to pursue efforts that would support the building of local refineries for jobs creation and economic growth, stating that he was in support of the power reforms but that he would do more to improve power generation.
“We agree with the privatization of the power utilities but we believe it must go further to transmission. After the signing and hand-over ceremonies of the power assets, the real work of producing, transmitting and distributing power is really just beginning.”
“Studies show that we will require no less than 200,000 trained personnel to support the initiative to provide power and light up Nigeria. Apart from the inherent direct employment that this will bring, the reduction in cost of production, it would also reduce the burden of Nigerians, who spend a lot to generate their electricity,” Buhari added.
IS THIS CHANGE?
Dear Nigerians, since the advent of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the major watchword has been ‘change’ but we shouldn’t forget that the APC was formed as a coalition of the CPC and AC. Now, what kind of change do they promise exactly?
Perhaps change from the status quo as we know it. However is the APC capable of bringing about such change?
Without a doubt, GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN administration has brought about progress in myriad sectors of the country: Agriculture, Financial empowerment for entrepreneurship, Transportation, Education etc.
The major impediment to this government has been insecurity, arising from the insurgency plaguing parts of the North-East. It is pertinent to note that this insurgency was both fomented and groomed in the North, specifically in the regions under the governance of the then ANPP (Borno and Yobe). This has led to an undermining of all the efforts the GEJ administration has put in place to uplift the nation.
Great Nigerian citizens should we then give our vote to the potential endangerment posed by the APC under the guise of ‘change’, or support a man who has literally transformed the nation and is ready to do more?
Let’s support the continuity of transformation agenda of GOODLUCK EBELE JONATHAN.
AN OPEN LETTER TO NIGERIANS
Dear youth, how easy it is to forget! The man who is screaming “change” with his last breath watched as your colleagues were slaughtered because he didn’t win in 2011.
Dear parents and elders, why did you not train up good role models and mentor the young? Why don’t we have good men running for office?
Dear Buhari, give it up. Retire. For the past 30 years, what have you done to show you love Nigeria and have a great vision for it? What personal achievements or improvements have you embarked on?
Dear Mr. President destiny saw it fit to make you President. I suggest you focus on 3 things; Insecurity, Economy and Power. Fire all YOUR lackluster staff and hire people who are deserving and can get the job done.
Dear Nigerians, What are you doing now to show that you are a good and true Nigerian that loves this country and wants the best for it?
You see, I believe that most of us just look for scapegoats to blame for living mediocre lives. We need to do our best to make this country the greatest in the world.
We are not just talking about the next 4 years; we are talking about the future of Nigeria. We either come together and build for the future or turn back the hands of time.
I love my country. I believe that president Jonathan will take this country forward.
Nigerians, vote wisely.
BUHARI’S SCORECARD
Let us really look dispassionately at Buhari’s scorecard. His religious bias is very clear for all to see. It was Buhari that submitted the application to upgrade Nigeria’s membership from an Observer status it had enjoyed since the Gowon regime to full membership.
One of the first things the Buhari administration did was to take away the fundamental human rights of every Nigerian by suspending Chapter IV of the Constitution of the FRN.
Today we know that most of the people sentenced to decades (oftentimes centuries) in prison, were innocent politicians of southern extraction while the guilty from his preferred ethnic extraction roamed free.
Buhari overthrew the supposedly corrupt NPN Government, yet he focused on and went after the UPN and NPP Governors; Professor Ambrose Ali, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin and Chief Bola Ige in prison, Chief Jim Nwobodo, Chief C.C. Onoh where tried repeatedly. Only people like Solomon Lar (who reported the planned coup to Shagari) and other Northerners who opposed him received lengthy sentences, most of the other Hausa/Fulani politician who were arrested, interrogated, detained, brought to trial or sent to jail such as the former president Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Suleman Takuma, Adamu Ciroma, Yahaya Dikko, Uba Ahmed where allowed to slip Buhari’s net with a slap on the wrist.
After Buhari overthrew the Shagari government exchange and Interest rates plus prices of various commodities: basic foodstuffs, toiletries etc which came to be known as essential commodities where fixed by fiat. This is in total disregard for basic demand and supply forces. Rationing of essential commodities, as a result of the fixing of prices of commodities as well as exchange rate, banning of the importation of items that we did not manufacture locally, and the draconian overnight currency change program, arbitrarily pegging total imports for 1984 at £4 billion pounds sterling created scarcity and hoarding set in. In fact Inflation in 1984 was 40.9%, 1983 was 22.22% and 1982 was 5.88%.
General Buhari was appointed chairman of PTF under Abacha controlling billions of US$ but In 2000, the Obasanjo administration set up an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to take a look at the affairs of the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund. According to their report total public funds to be recovered from various contractors, banks and consultants amounted to about N25,758,532,448 (Twenty five billion, seven hundred and fifty eight million five hundred and thirty two thousand four hundred and forty eight Naira).
His record as Chairman of PTF was also not remarkable because apart from the mismanagement of resources 80 percent of the projects were in his home town and 20 percent for the rest of Nigeria.
General Buhari’s economic policies in 1984 did not work then and they won’t work now.