Orji Kalu criticises 2023 budget, says ‘Nigeria is at war’
“We are not doing anything. We are just a consuming nation."


The Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Orji Kalu, has called on the Nigerian government to cut the cost of governance to save the country from a worsening economic crisis.

Mr Kalu stated this during the review of the proposed 2023 budget by the National Assembly.

President Muhammadu Buhari last Friday presented the proposed budget totalling N20.5 trillion, to the assembly.

Mr Kalu, while stating his observations during the review of the proposed budget, decried the country’s deteriorating economy.

He posted a video clip of the review session on his Facebook page on Thursday.

The former governor of Abia State, who now represents Abia North District, said the government must show commitment to solving the country’s economic problem.

“Nigeria is not an exception (in the global economic crisis), but we need to reduce the cost of governance. The cost of governance is too heavy. It should be channelled into the manufacturing sector and the productivity sector.

“We are not doing anything. We are just a consuming nation. We should go back to agriculture if our people want us to come out from the woes we are in,” he stated.

Mr Kalu said the government was not making adequate efforts to address the country’s worsening economy, citing oil refineries that have not been in operation for a long time now.

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“How can we see things that should be justifiable in the economy and nobody is doing it? Pipelines are being broken.

“How can we have refineries that are not working? How do we want to earn money, if not borrowing? We don’t have another resort than to borrow,” the former governor added.

He said the country has been forced to borrow to address the ravaging insecurity and worsening economic crisis which, he said, have affected agricultural and industrial productivity in the country.

“We are at war in Nigeria. The wars in the North-east, North-west, the one in the South-east- they are all wars and we have no other opportunity (to grow the economy) because our farmers are not going to their farms. There is no productivity in Nigeria. The industries’ capacities are down.

“Industrialists are not manufacturing. Capacities have gone below six per cent all of over. I have two industries in Lagos. But they are shut down because of economic challenges. The answer to not doing anything is borrowing unless we start producing.”

“Repeated items”
The chief whip faulted the proposed budget, pointing out that some items which appeared in previous budgets were repeated in the proposed budget.


“I am saying that the committee on finance and appropriation need to look into all these yearly reoccurrences,” he said.

Giving an instance, the senator said stationeries and furniture which had been budgeted for in the previous budget were repeated in the proposal.

“What I have seen in this (proposed) budget is what I saw last year in the (2022) budget and it is not going to be good for us. We can’t continue recycling,” Mr Kalu said.

He said it was wrong for the country to continue to buy new furniture and stationeries every year.

“What happened to the furniture and stationeries appropriated in previous budgets?” he said


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Is he trying to become Obidient?

I pity the people in his constituency who will listen to him and vote an alleged drug baron from his party, just so that he can get a political appointment and continue to give them peanuts.

According to Peter Obi, all we need to do is lift all restrictions on import and open all our borders to all kinds of items and boom, the economy will bounce back to life.

This is the more reason every sane Nigeria should vote Peter Obi to rescue this Nation.

seunmsg:
According to Peter Obi, all we need to do is lift all restrictions on import and open all our borders to all kinds of items and boom, the economy will bounce back to life.

Same Peter obi that was the first to patronise innoson, built one of the largest retail outlets for made in Nigeria goods to be sold, brought south African brewery to invest locally.

US and UK imports more than Nigeria, they also make more money from import duties than Nigeria.

We loose more money from smuggled goods than we make from duties at the ports.

So unrestricted imports with higher duty makes sense.

Everyone wanna be OBIdient

“Nigeria is not an exception (in the global economic crisis), but we need to reduce the cost of governance. The cost of governance is too heavy. It should be channelled into the manufacturing sector and the productivity sector.

“We are not doing anything. We are just a consuming nation. We should go back to agriculture if our people want us to come out from the woes we are in,”

So are you now Obidient? Dr Chris Ngige welcome to the wailers club. Guess it was PDP that are lamenting now? Reality is more clearer now than ever before.Do zombiesm with sense and decorum, una say no.

Meanwhile, Peter Obi have informed the Nigerian electorate how he will unbundle this policy to liberate the economy when on board, yet many of you criticised it. Anyway, we move!

“Industrialists are not manufacturing. Capacities have gone below six per cent all of over. I have two industries in Lagos. But they are shut down because of economic challenges. The answer to not doing anything is borrowing unless we start producing.”

Though your govt said Nigeria was the investment destination of choice under its reignship? How come industries are creepling and not manufacturing?

This is what happens when a band of irresponsible, clueless and incompetent people who have no feasible economic blueprint mounts the saddle of leadership in a mono-export dependent economy like that of Nigeria.

udele1:
Same Peter obi that was the first to patronise innoson, built one of the largest retail outlets for made in Nigeria goods to be sold, brought south African brewery to invest locally.

US and UK imports more than Nigeria, they also make more money from import duties than Nigeria.We loose more money from smuggled goods than we make from duties at the ports.So unrestricted imports with higher duty makes sense

The Buhari administration blockade of the borders, didn't only failed to increase local food production( as food inflation & insecurity reign supremely) but also failed to increase local production with the attendant huge economic loss.

The fella you're doing a duty to educate calls himself a statistician who is doing zombiesm for a so called 1st class accountant graduate from Chicago State Univ.( CSU) Illinois-US.

Same emilokan who a said the solution to the economic crisis bedevilling this nation under the clueless and incompetent APC govt is to print more money. Fear our brethren from the sophisticated region.

udele1:


Same Peter obi that was the first to patronise innoson, built one of the largest retail outlets for made in Nigeria goods to be sold, brought south African brewery to invest locally.

US and UK imports more than Nigeria, they also make more money from import duties than Nigeria.

We loose more money from smuggled goods than we make from duties at the ports.

So unrestricted imports with higher duty makes sense.

The part in bold showed clearly you’re ignorant and confused at the same time. You cannot be advocating for us to move from a consumption economy to a production economy and at the same time be advocating for unrestricted importation of just anything into the country. It’s insane!


The UK and US still have a lot of items on their import prohibition list just like Nigeria or any other country in the world. We are now doing very well in the production of rice, juice, cement, plastic, etc. Why should we reverse this gains with all the jobs created in these sectors just because of higher duties?

Where will we get the forex to pay for the unrestricted import you guys are advocating for from?

seunmsg:
According to Peter Obi, all we need to do is lift all restrictions on import and open all our borders to all kinds of items and boom, the economy will bounce back to life.

He could be right, Kadoso. I mean, what has your Buhari done to the economy with his policies. Has it been working? Ehn, son of Mutairu?

seunmsg:


The part in bold showed clearly you’re ignorant and confused at the same time.

Kadoso Mutairu! Ara e ko ooto ju.

Spandau:
He could be right, Kadoso. I mean, what has your Buhari done to the economy with his policies. Has it been working? Ehn, son of Mutairu?

You have forgotten that Buhari used Tinubu’s economic policies and ruined the 3rd fastest Nigerian economy in from 2015 till date?

seunmsg:
According to Peter Obi, all we need to do is lift all restrictions on import and open all our borders to all kinds of items and boom, the economy will bounce back to life.

And according to Tinubu, all we need to do is Cassava, Agbado, Ewaaaaaa.

Shame no dey catch you say Tinubu no get economic blueprint?

Since Buhari closed our borders, what has changed?

Rice has been expensive while local production did not increase appreciably.

Price of cars has quadrupled and it’s not like the Innosons and JACs of this country have been assisted by govt to increase local production of vehicles.

Wetin we really gain from closing of borders?

That's true

Politics in Nigeria is a very funny spectacle. It is even funnier because of the politicians that run the political space.

Since the advent of the obidient movement a lot of politicians have been saying or doing things they ordinarily wouldn't say or do.

Look at Orji Uzo Kalu talking about the state of the economy in Nigeria. Someone that stole money as the governor of Abia State, was taken to prison and was freed after spending very less time than what was given.

Anyways it's because we are in a country like this that's why people like him can do anyhow.

Obi for life

udele1:
Is he trying to become Obidient?

No, instead he’s saying people like Peter Obi are only destroying the countries growth. They kept on importing.

seunmsg:
According to Peter Obi, all we need to do is lift all restrictions on import and open all our borders to all kinds of items and boom, the economy will bounce back to life.

As an Agbadorian you are too dull to understand complex economic theories Obi is proposing

GeneralPula:

No, instead he’s saying people like Peter Obi are only destroying the countries growth. They kept on importing.

Is importation illegal? Did he smuggle banned products? Produce something so that he can export

This exconvict too don de get sense

XerXers:

Is importation illegal? Did he smuggle banned products? Produce something so that he can export

Did you see me say importation is illegal?

seunmsg:


The part in bold showed clearly you’re ignorant and confused at the same time. You cannot be advocating for us to move from a consumption economy to a production economy and at the same time be advocating for unrestricted importation of just anything into the country. It’s insane!


The UK and US still have a lot of items on their import prohibition list just like Nigeria or any other country in the world. We are now doing very well in the production of rice, juice, cement, plastic, etc. Why should we reverse this gains with all the jobs created in these sectors just because of higher duties?

Where will we get the forex to pay for the unrestricted import you guys are advocating for from?

You are ignorant. You can order a laptop from from China to use in the US and nobody will stop you. But you will pay 2 or 3 times the duty and the funds are channeled to US startup.


With all the designer brands in UK and US, people are still allowed to order cloths from outside, as long as you can afford high duty.

If you import rice and pay 40,000 duty on a bag, and local rice is sold for 15,000, then that's your choice.

The high duty is channeled to local rice production, while the rich people that want foreign rice can buy a bag at 80,000.

Nobody will stop you from ordering pizza from Nigeria in US or UK, as long as you can pay the high duty on it.

I know people in UK who were forced to abandon items they imported at the ports, because they could not afford to pay the duty.

All this nonsense of import restrictions, yet people smuggle the same items. Customs will sieze the items and still resell, claiming they burnt it.

People in UK see US designer brands cheaper on AMAZON US. But by the time the order it and pay the duties in UK, its better they bought them in UK.

They will get the forex from the assisted local production and export, funded by duties paid on import.

Racoon:
You have forgotten that Buhari used Tinubu’s economic policies and ruined the 3rd fastest Nigerian economy in from 2015 till date?

We are saying the same thing. Kadoso Mutairu aka seunmsg is pro Buhari/Tinubu.

seunmsg:


The part in bold showed clearly you’re ignorant and confused at the same time. You cannot be advocating for us to move from a consumption economy to a production economy and at the same time be advocating for unrestricted importation of just anything into the country. It’s insane!


The UK and US still have a lot of items on their import prohibition list just like Nigeria or any other country in the world. We are now doing very well in the production of rice, juice, cement, plastic, etc. Why should we reverse this gains with all the jobs created in these sectors just because of higher duties?

Where will we get the forex to pay for the unrestricted import you guys are advocating for from?

Inside Buhari and Emile O'Corn bank account

Spandau:


Inside Buhari and Emile O'Corn bank account