₦airaland Forum

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said President Bola Tinubu has no clear ideas on how to solve the foreign exchange crisis which has affected the naira and exacerbated the economic crisis in the country.

He proffered several ways the government can save the currency from further fall.
Atiku spoke yesterday against the backdrop of Tinubu‘s meeting last Thursday with governors and other stakeholders to address the foreign exchange crisis and the problem of economic downturn.

On his handle on the X platform, Atiku canvassed a managed-floating foreign exchange system and ensuring sufficient FX reserves as contained in his policy document titled: My Covenant With Nigerians”, with which he campaigned as presidential candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023.

The former vice president stated that when the government is ready to open itself to sound counsels, control internal bleedings caused by corruption and poorly negotiated foreign loans, the Nigerian economy would begin to find a footing again.

Atiku said Tinubu failed, yet again, to showcase any concrete policy steps that his administration is taking to contain the crises of currency fluctuation and poverty that face the country.

“Rather, he told the country and experts who have been offering ideas on how to resolve the crisis that he and his team should not be distracted and allowed time to continue cooking their cocktail that has brought untold hardship to the people of Nigeria. I don‘t agree with that,” he noted.

The PDP presidential candidate in the 2023 election said Tinubu‘s wrong policies continue to cause untold pain and distress on the economy and „the rest of us cannot keep quiet when, clearly, the government has demonstrated sufficient poverty of ideas to redeem the situation.”

Offering solutions, Atiku said, “If the government will not hold on to their usual hubris, there are ways that the country can walk out of the current crisis.
“After a careful assessment of the state of our economy at the twilights of the last administration, I knew full well that the economy of the country was heading for the ditch and came up with a number of policy prescriptions that would rescue the country from getting into the mess that we are currently in.

“Those ideas, encapsulated in my policy document titled: My Covenant With Nigerians made the following prescriptions:

“I had signed on to a commitment to reform the operation of the foreign exchange market. Specifically, there was a commitment to eliminate multiple exchange rate windows.

The system only served to enrich opportunists, rent-seekers, middlemen, arbitrageurs, and fraudsters.

A fixed exchange rate system would be out of the question. First, it would not be in line with our philosophy of running an open, private sector friendly economy. Secondly, operating a successful fixed-exchange rate system would require sufficient FX reserves to defend the domestic currency at all times.

But as is well known, Nigeria’s major challenge is the persistent FX illiquidity occasioned by limited foreign exchange inflows to the country. Without sufficient FX reserves, confidence in the Nigerian economy will remain low, and Naira will remain under pressure. The economy will have no firepower to support its currency. Besides, a fixed-exchange rate system is akin to running a subsidy regime!

On the other hand, given Nigeria’s underlying economic conditions, adopting a floating exchange rate system would be an overkill. We would have encouraged the Central Bank of Nigeria to adopt a gradualist approach to FX management.

A managed-floating system would have been a preferred option. In simple terms, in such a system, the Naira may fluctuate daily, but the CBN will step in to control and stabilise its value. Such control will be exercised judiciously and responsibly, especially to curb speculative activities.”

He added that Tinubu’s new policy FX management policy was hurriedly put together without proper plans and consultations with stakeholders.
Atiku noted that the government failed to anticipate or downplay the potential and real negative consequences of its actions.

The government did not allow the CBN the independence to design and implement a sound FX Management Policy that would have dealt with such issues as increasing liquidity, curtailing/regulating demand, dealing with FX backlogs and rate convergence.

I firmly believe that if and when the Government is ready to open itself to sound counsels, as well as control internal bleedings occasioned by corruption and poorly negotiated foreign loans, the Nigerian economy would begin to find a footing again,“ Atiku said.

Source: https://leadership.ng/how-to-avert-nairas-free-fall-atiku/

Atiku Abubukar now understands that nothing dey Ebola head and that Nigerians are paying a heavy price for having an incompetent and clueless skit maker as their president. Little wonder he's now giving him ideas.

That man knew that he was empty yet he hired his fellow clueless tribesmen to run the economy instead of hiring sound minds. These politicians keep reaffirming the common conviction that a Nigerian president must be worse than his predecessor.

Where in world do you see a fest kras graduate receiving lessons from 3rd class? Tinubu bought his presidency the same way he bought his degree.
Unfortunately for him the presidency certificate is always issued before you are assessed.
We have "weighed Tinubu and accessed his credentials and he has been found wanton." He is not competent to lead and hence should step aside.

hmmm

Lol! Someone that will play to the rhythm of the Aboki BDC and open the vault is advising.

Validated:
Where in world do you see a fest kras graduate receiving lessons from 3rd class? Tinubu bought his presidency the same way he bought his degree.
Unfortunately for him the presidency certificate is always issued before you are assessed.
We have "weighed Tinubu and accessed his credentials and he has been found wanton." He is not competent to lead and hence should step aside.

He'll rather run it aground than step aside.

One thing that caught my attention was blocking of leakages.
Kemi Adeosun was booted out for attempting it. Nobody dared mentioned that brilliant thing after her exit.

Economics no be by agbero.