Press Statement
‘Pay Attention To The Economy,’ PDP Tells Buhari, APC…Urges
Sustenance Of Existing Economic Projects...
The Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP), for the umpteenth time, urges the President Mohammadu
Buhari-led APC administration, to pay urgent attention to the management of the
nation’s economy.
*President Buhari
The party
said its worry stems from the fact that the economy has remained on rapid fall
since the last four months apparently due to the absence of clear-cut fiscal
policy direction and an economic team to deal with the domestic and global
challenges associated with a developing economy.
PDP National
Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in a statement on Monday said “whereas
the PDP is in full support of the President’s efforts in tackling corruption
and insurgency, the party is however concerned about the grave economic
situation we now face, as well as indices from global economic watchers, which
this administration has failed to give deserving attention, despite its
predictable negative impact.
The PDP said
as a responsible party, it is duty-bound, beyond politics, to draw the
President’s attention to the fact that under the prevailing circumstances, the
nation is evidently heading to economic doldrums.
“Mr.
President, this is no longer about politics and partisanship. It is about the
economy of our dear nation and the wellbeing of the Nigerian citizens.
“Recall that
we have severally in the past, drawn attention to official reports showing that
the unemployment situation in the country as well as inflation rate are growing
at frightening dimensions, not to talk of the continued decline in domestic and
direct foreign investments, all due to uncertainty created by the lack of
economic direction of APC-led administration.
“The
situation has become even of utmost concern following the failure of this
administration to articulate any interventionist policy at this critical moment,
when credible global economic monitors have continued to predict that oil price
may fall as low as $20 per barrel.
*Metuh
“It is
worrisome that whilst other countries are taking deliberate steps to enhance
their investment profiles and hedge their economies at this time, the APC-led
federal government has done nothing in that direction, but has centered on
partisan politics and witch-hunt of perceived opponents, while the economy
remains vulnerable and unattended to.
“We caution
strongly that this approach to governance is not healthy for our nation.
Indeed, the time has come for Mr. President to end the apparent lethargy in his
administration and take urgent step to set up a crack economic team of experts
to immediately swing into action and salvage the situation by opening up all
economic outlets, which have been stagnated in the last four months.
“In managing
this economy at this time, we urge Mr. President, as the father of the nation,
to look beyond partisan politics and ensure that the policy frameworks and
populist economic projects laid by the PDP administration, especially in the
non-oil sectors are not allowed to rot, but adequately utilized for the good of
all.
“In this
regard therefore, we wish to draw attention to various agricultural projects
and programmes established by the PDP, especially in the northern states, such
as various dams and irrigation projects, the e-wallet financial empowerment
system to farmers, associated to the over 2 million direct farm jobs, as well
as the Green Belt project under Presidential Initiative on Afforestation in
Kano and 10 other northern states, all in line with PDP’s agenda to return the
region as the food basket of the nation.
“The PDP
believes that in the interest of millions of Nigerians citizens who look up to
the political class for direction, it is now imperative on the APC-led federal
government to pay deserving attention to the economy and continue the policy of
the past administration of opening the space for harnessing indigenous
potentials.
“Finally, we
wish to reassure that the PDP, as a responsible party, will remain committed to
providing credible and robust alternatives and views to government policies and
programmes, in the general interest and wellbeing of the Nigerian people”.
Signed:
Chief Olisa Metuh
National
Publicity Secretary
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