Welcome, Guest: Register On Nairaland / LOGIN! / Trending / Recent / NewStats: 3,153,862 members, 7,821,011 topics. Date: Wednesday, 08 May 2024 at 06:43 AM |
Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Politics / Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu (681 Views)
APC Agent Pours Acid On PDP Agent At Ado Ekiti LGA Ward (photo) / MURIC Reacts To RCCG Letter To Fayose On PDP Candidate / I’m Sad Adeleke Won On PDP Platform – Saraki (2) (3) (4)
Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by sarrki(m): 2:34am On Feb 18, 2017 |
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/ 2 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by HungerBAD: 2:35am On Feb 18, 2017 |
Following 3 Likes |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by Thecassanova: 2:52am On Feb 18, 2017 |
....And After two years the Blaming game continues... Ask your neighbors have you blame PDP today 6 Likes |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by Kingsley1000(m): 2:57am On Feb 18, 2017 |
thank goodness igbo are now seeing beyond prejudice.... pdp are the people that bred this recession 2 Likes |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by Standing5(m): 3:13am On Feb 18, 2017 |
Hmm |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by kabrud: 4:39am On Feb 18, 2017 |
Oga, pls tell them. Ring it into those compressed brains. 1 Like |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by sarrki(m): 4:40am On Feb 18, 2017 |
3 Likes 1 Share |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by SamuelAnyawu(m): 4:46am On Feb 18, 2017 |
Mtscheeeeeeeeeewwwwwww |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by sarrki(m): 4:47am On Feb 18, 2017 |
Kingsley1000: 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 2 Likes 2 Shares |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by lecturerdabo(m): 4:55am On Feb 18, 2017 |
APC keeps alluding to pdp as the reason for economic crisis! Please WHO IS THIS PDP? Are the constituents of PDP different from APC? 3 Likes |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by dorofresh: 5:02am On Feb 18, 2017 |
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... 1 Like |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by sarrki(m): 5:03am On Feb 18, 2017 |
lecturerdabo: 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 |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by Montaque(m): 5:16am On Feb 18, 2017 |
"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? 2 Likes |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by sarrki(m): 5:26am On Feb 18, 2017 |
Montaque: 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. |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by lecturerdabo(m): 5:31am On Feb 18, 2017 |
sarrki: 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 2 Likes |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by Montaque(m): 5:39am On Feb 18, 2017 |
sarrki: 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. |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by DaudaAbu(m): 7:24am On Feb 18, 2017 |
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? |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by luvinhubby(m): 7:28am On Feb 18, 2017 |
Kingsley1000: Which one is breeded again, did PDP cause your failure in English language also? |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by Chuksonyeike: 7:28am On Feb 18, 2017 |
Kingsley1000:Which Igbo people? |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by Kingsley1000(m): 7:33am On Feb 18, 2017 |
luvinhubby:corrected* |
Re: Blame Economic Crisis On PDP Govt's Failure To Save - Okechukwu by abouzaid: 8:52am On Feb 18, 2017 |
Montaque: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. |
(1) (Reply)
APC Registers One Million In South East-the Nation / Naira Gains; While DSS Still Detaining Mr Gbadamosi Who Exposed The Forex Fraud / Justice Binta Have Sentence KANU To A Different Kind Of Imprisonment
(Go Up)
Sections: politics (1) business autos (1) jobs (1) career education (1) romance computers phones travel sports fashion health religion celebs tv-movies music-radio literature webmasters programming techmarket Links: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) Nairaland - Copyright © 2005 - 2024 Oluwaseun Osewa. All rights reserved. See How To Advertise. 54 |