Mr. Osita Okechukwu is the Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON) and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In this interview with JOHN SILAS he blames PDP for current economic crisis and speaks on the need for the National Assembly to approve the loan request by President Muhammadu Buhari amongst other national issues.

What is your take on the recent protest against the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Govern­ment?

It is normal in any democ­racy, and luckily as well, the Acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, demonstrated that he is a democrat and instruct­ed the security agencies not to harass anyone. I think that it is a normal process because if we go through the American system; in every two years, a newly-elected president nor­mally looses the mid-term election. I don’t know of any American president who didn’t lose mid-term elec­tions. The rot President Mu­hammadu Buhari met on the ground is not what anyone can clear within a short peri­od, especially when there is a crash in the price of oil at the international market.

Some of the promises made cannot be met with empty hands, so naturally, the peo­ple are angry. The despair has continued to the extent that some people don’t look back again, but they have forgotten that about $18 billion was re­alized between 2012 and 2014 from crude oil sales and that the slide in the price of oil was in 2015, and that was when Mr. President came to power. The $18 billion that was real­ized in the preceding three years was never accounted for. It was the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, who in­nocently explained the situa­tion. He looked back and said that he remembered vividly that some of them pleaded that there should be savings for the rainy day but nobody agreed.

So, we are pleading the Na­tional Assembly to approve the $30 billion loan request by Mr. President. It is only through such loan that he will restore hope to the peo­ple and activate industrial activities. You can imagine the impact of a $4.8 billion investment on the Mambilla electricity project would have on the economy. The power plant will produce about 3,500 megawatts, which is more than what we have at the moment. The same loan would be used to build the coastal rail line, which will increase economic activities in the Niger Delta region. About $500 million dollars from there is meant to com­plete the East-West road, just like $1.5 billion is meant to upgrade the Lagos-Kano rail line to a standard gauge.

When you talk about loan, the fear of many people is that it may go the way of previous ones, which were diverted to private pockets…

I don’t share that view be­cause the creditors are aware of the integrity of President Buhari. Nobody will lend such amount to a financially reckless president. They are lending the money to Nigeria because they know that Mr. President has the capacity to monitor the expenditure and will not spare anybody that takes a dime out of it. The truth of the matter is that the man who is borrowing is dif­ferent from those who bor­rowed in the past, and don’t forget that nobody is going to be given cash. For the one the Chinese are lending, they are going to execute the projects by themselves. It is also the same thing with that of Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The Acting President told the protesters that govern­ment has heard them loud and clear. Do you think that is enough to assuage the feel­ings in the land at the mo­ment?

What we are saying is that the Nigerian people should help us plead with National Assembly to approve the loan because we are between the devil and the deep blue sea. You know how much your organisation is spending on diesel. That is a big fund that you are expending. It is the same thing you are expend­ing at home to generate elec­tricity no matter how small your generator is. Multiply that by millions of Nigeri­ans, who are running their businesses and homes on generators. They spend over $5 billion yearly, but some­body is saying let me borrow $4.8 billion to generate 3,500 megawatts. I don’t see any­thing that is wrong with that. The man, who is making the loan request, is not one who will misappropriate the loan because the Buhari brand is one that will not steal.

The organised labour is planning a similar protest; don’t you see all these as a sign of loss of faith in the APC government?

I don’t see it that way be­cause there is freedom of as­sociation and the people have the right to peaceful protest. I have not seen labour’s de­mand but if I can look into what they are talking about, the Federal Government spends over N210 billion monthly in paying salaries; if you tell the same labour that you want to retrench workers, they will also be on the streets. The Federal Government is finding it difficult to meet up with that obligation, but be­cause we are coming from a social democratic platform, we cannot retrench workers. In fact, a lot of our youths still want to be employed and Mr. President is bothered about the rate of unemployment in the system, so he cannot re­trench. If labour is demand­ing for salary increase, they should also look at the possi­bility of paying. I believe that what they should advocate is cut in the cost of governance and they will have my sup­port. If you increase salaries, which you can’t pay, then you have crisis in your hands.

President Buhari is using the opportunity of his vaca­tion abroad to undergo med­ical checks, but some people are demanding that his health status be made public. Where do you stand on that?

All of us have one ailment or the other and once you get to a certain age, you have one drug or the other in your pocket. So the question of sickness is neither here nor there. There is a saying in my place the some people were expecting a dried tree to fall but the fresh one did.

What is your reaction to the recent media war be­tween the Imo State gover­nor, Owelle Rochas Okoro­cha and his Anambra State counterpart, Chief Willie Obiano, over claims of a possible defection of three South-East governors to the APC?

Some leaders in the South-East have talked to them and they have ceased fire, so there is no need hyping it again. What happened at the APC South-East meeting in Owerri was not actually re­ported. Nobody reported the resolve of the zone to support President Buhari for a second term in line with the party’s zoning convention. Yes! It is not in APCs constitution, but most conventions are never in any constitution. I am hap­py that Governor Okoroacha is now with us on the zon­ing convention and that we, in the South-East should be strategic in thinking; that we should support President Bu­hari to do two terms, so that we can drive the conscience of our brothers and sisters in other zones to the wall in 2023 because they have had their respective turns since 1999.

The APC has continued to witness the defection of top Igbo politicians into its fold; what is the attraction?

There are three levels of at­traction because the people of the South-East appreciate a hardworking political party. They have seen that the con­tractors are back to sites. They have seen that the APC gov­ernment is determined to fix the federal roads that where abandoned in the zone. They also see that N14 billion has been invested in the Second Niger Bridge; money that they former government could have paid under the Public-Private Partnership arrange­ment. They also see that they stand a good chance of pro­ducing a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction by the time President Buhari completes a second term. Our people are also not known to be in op­position politics




http://www.authorityngr.com/2017/02/Blame-economic-crisis-on-PDP-govt-s-failure-to-save--Okechukwu/

Following

....And After two years the Blaming game continues...

Ask your neighbors have you blame PDP today

thank goodness igbo are now seeing beyond prejudice....


pdp are the people that bred this recession

Hmm

Oga, pls tell them.
Ring it into those compressed brains.

kabrud:
Oga, pls tell them.
Ring it into their compressed brains.

They will label him okechuawusa

Mtscheeeeeeeeeewwwwwww

Kingsley1000:
thank goodness igbo are now seeing beyond prejudice....


pdp are the people that breeded this recession

My brother

Permit to rephrase

Not igbos, the main igbos are patriotic Nigeria and they are with Mr president all along

The wailing wailers, looters and enemies of state benefited immensely from the last administration are the one opposed to this wonderful president.

Long live muhammadu Buhari

Long live federal republic of Nigeria

APC keeps alluding to pdp as the reason for economic crisis!

Please WHO IS THIS PDP?

Are the constituents of PDP different from APC?

Oga I assume you are just doing your Job as a paid employee of the Govt.

Let's agree PDP looted the treasury dry. What proactive policies have the Govt of the day put in place as an intervention measure to lift us out of this conundrum?

It has been one policy somersault and clueless action after another until you plunged us into recession

The truth no matter how bitter is that, Buhari and Apc have not been able to manage the economy at this critical period very well as they are bereft of ideas on how to rejuvenate our collapsed economy and bring us out of recession

You people should keep deceiving the gullible. Posterity will never be kind to you all...

lecturerdabo:
APC keeps alluding to pdp as the reason for economic crisis!

Please WHO IS THIS PDP?

Are the constituents of PDP different from APC?

Let me educate you and as well answer your questions

WHO IS THIS PDP?

ANSWER PDP destroyed our economy ,Batterd our judicial system, Threatened our Co existence, Caused religious and ethnic hatred an so on.

PDP is not Apc

If PDP are Apc ... there won't be fierce opposition the way it is

I don't like talking about party as a patriot but to set the record straight PDP damaged Nigeria

"It was the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Mr.
Peter Obi, who innocently explained the situation. He lookedback and said that he remembered vividly that some ofthem pleaded that there should be savings for the rainy daybut nobody agreed.
So, we are pleading the National Assembly to approve the
$30 billion loan request by Mr. President. It is only through
such loan that he will restore hope to the people and
activate industrial activities."

Nawa o.
Saving money by borrowing $30b? How do you save under the weight of such massive debt over more than a 10yrs period? Is borrowing the only option we have?

Montaque:
"It was the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Mr.
Peter Obi, who innocently explained the situation. He lookedback and said that he remembered vividly that some ofthem pleaded that there should be savings for the rainy daybut nobody agreed.
So, we are pleading the National Assembly to approve the
$30 billion loan request by Mr. President. It is only through
such loan that he will restore hope to the people and
activate industrial activities."

Nawa o.
Saving money by borrowing $30b? How do you save under the weight of such massive debt over more than a 10yrs period? Is borrowing the only option we have?

Your heroes makes things harder for the present administration

Funds recovered:

Alagba Yakubu - $10m
Dizzy Baby- $153.3m
Dame P - $5m
Total -$168m equivalent to about N600billion
Exchange rate of N350 to $1

Osun State 2017 budget- N138.2bn
Ebonyi State 2017 budget- N127.3bn
Ekiti State 2017 budget- N93.46bn
Taraba State 2017 budget- N110bn
Edo State 2017 budget- N150bn

Total budget for 2017 fiscal year for 5 selected States - N619bn

Money recovered from 3 individuals alone can fund budgets of 5 States and we are busy thinking in rational.

Put sentiment aside and think rationally. With all this where do we found our self in future.

sarrki:


Let me educate you and as well answer your questions

WHO IS THIS PDP?

ANSWER PDP destroyed our economy ,Batterd our judicial system, Threatened our Co existence, Caused religious and ethnic hatred an so on.

PDP is not Apc

If PDP are Apc ... there won't be fierce opposition the way it is

I don't like talking about party as a patriot but to set the record straight PDP damaged Nigeria

Tnx for 'educating' me Mr Patriot!

Please can you convince me that about 80% of "SAINT" APC are not part of the "evil" PDP?

I do hope your patriotism is not anchored on Party affiliation

sarrki:



Your heroes makes things harder for the present administration

Funds recovered:

Alagba Yakubu - $10m
Dizzy Baby- $153.3m
Dame P - $5m
Total -$168m equivalent to about N600billion
Exchange rate of N350 to $1

Osun State 2017 budget- N138.2bn
Ebonyi State 2017 budget- N127.3bn
Ekiti State 2017 budget- N93.46bn
Taraba State 2017 budget- N110bn
Edo State 2017 budget- N150bn

Total budget for 2017 fiscal year for 5 selected States - N619bn

Money recovered from 3 individuals alone can fund budgets of 5 States and we are busy thinking in rational.

Put sentiment aside and think rationally. With all this where do we found our self in future.

The issue here is why we MUST borrow. Is it a must? Don't we have other options aside borrowing. Do u know the current debt servicing amount as a country in a year? Let's talk on that.

How can they save?

They re not known for saving anything.

They cant even save their own party from the acting chairman they brought in.

How then can they save nigeria?

Kingsley1000:
thank goodness igbo are now seeing beyond prejudice....


pdp are the people that breeded this recession

Which one is breeded again, did PDP cause your failure in English language also?

Kingsley1000:
thank goodness igbo are now seeing beyond prejudice....


pdp are the people that breeded this recession

Which Igbo people?

luvinhubby:


Which one is bred again, did PDP cause your failure in English language also?

corrected*

Montaque:
"It was the immediate past governor of Anambra State, Mr.
Peter Obi, who innocently explained the situation. He lookedback and said that he remembered vividly that some ofthem pleaded that there should be savings for the rainy daybut nobody agreed.
So, we are pleading the National Assembly to approve the
$30 billion loan request by Mr. President. It is only through
such loan that he will restore hope to the people and
activate industrial activities."

Nawa o.
Saving money by borrowing $30b? How do you save under the weight of such massive debt over more than a 10yrs period? Is borrowing the only option we have?

the loan is about thirty years period ontop of the existing loans. buhari has been borrowing massively without anything to show for it.all the money borrowed seems to have been used to search for oil in the north and cut grasses at the idp camp among other corruption acts.they have also made billions from removal of fuel subsidy, bank stamp duty,heavy fines to Mtn and other foreign companies, etc without anything to show for it.the minister of finance couldn't account for a kobo of the 2.2trillion naira loan given to them in 2015,saying openly that buhari and coes must have used the money to do what ever they wanted.