₦airaland Forum

Global audit and tax advisory firm, KPMG, has projected that Nigeria’s unemployment rate is expected to rise to 40.6% as compared to 2022’s 37.7%.

KPMG detailed this forecast in its International Global Economic Outlook report – H1 2023 on Tuesday, where it stated that “unemployment is expected to continue to be a major challenge in 2023 due to the limited investment by the private sector, low industrialization, and slower than required economic growth and consequently the inability of the economy to absorb the 4-5 million new entrants into the Nigerian job market every year”.
The report also revealed in part that there are expectations for GDP to continue to grow at a relatively slow pace of 3% in 2023 owing to the slowdown in economic activity that typically characterizes periods of political transition in Nigeria.
Furthermore, the spillover from an expected slowdown in the global economy in 2023 and its trade and financial flow implications are expected to drag
on GDP.
“Additionally, growth will be negatively affected by the Naira Redesign Policy introduced in Q4 2022 and Q1 2023 and its implications on key non-oil sectors like manufacturing, trade, accommodation and food services, transportation, and other services, further slowing down overall GDP growth in 2023,” the report read.

On the resurgence of major aspects of the economy, it forecasted that the telecommunications, trade services, as well as the oil sector, are expected to see recoveries, on account of measures being taken to tackle security issues.

Rivers State governor Nyesom Wike has said the appointment of acting national chairman for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after Senator Iyorchia Ayu stepped aside was irrelevant.

He berated Ayu over the party’s poor showing in the 2023 presidential election.

Wike, who stated this during a media chat with selected journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, said Ayu had no political clout.


The PDP appointed Iliya Umar Damagum from Yobe State as acting chairman after the court barred Ayu from parading himself as the party’s chairman.

The governor said, “So, you can see that he (Ayu) has nothing to offer to the party. We won here which means we have something to offer to the party. Ayu has nothing to offer to the party.”

He dismissed the appointment of an acting national chairman for the PDP, saying the move was inconsequential.

Wike however expressed relief that Ayu had not stepped down from his post before the election.


The governor said: “We are happy that Ayu did not go that time because if he had gone, they would have been saying that it was because he left that is why we lost (the presidential election).”

Also yesterday, Wike laughed off the quest of Senator Dino Melaye to emerge the next governor of Kogi State, saying the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain does not have what it takes to vie for such a position.


Wike who said this while in a media chat with selected broadcast media stations in Port Harcourt yesterday said that he would not be surprised if the PDP national leadership is rooting for Melaye, “because it’s time to compensate one of his attack dogs.”

“When you give Dino that ticket, you know, he won’t win in Kogi State, you’re just compensating him for a job well done for being your ‘attack dog’ abusing those who disagreed with national leadership of PDP,” Wike said.

The governor pointed out that it will take a lot to defeat an incumbent governor or president and the ruling party.

“Why would Kogi people say they would vote for a candidate like Dino? Are we joking? Is it that the incumbent Governor did not do well, or his party is in disarray?”

Wike said defeating an incumbent government takes a lot of strategy like capitalizing on nonperformance and picking an acceptable candidate by the stakeholders of the party in the state.

He said it should not be a compensation to somebody because he is the favourite of the national leadership of PDP.

“Dino does not have what it takes [to be a governor] for crying out loud. He knows me very well. He does not have what it takes to be a governor,” he insisted.

He added that PDP is doomed to lose the election if it gives the governorship ticket to the former Kogi West senator.

Wike added that he won’t campaign for the PDP if the party gives its governorship ticket to Dino Melaye.

He also accused the party’s leadership of trying to “manipulate” the process in favour of Dino.

“Why are you trying to manipulate this in favour of one aspirant?” he queried.


Governor Wike said that he would be shocked if Dino wins the election as governor.

He warned PDP not to cry of rigging when they lose because they are confronting an incumbent with a weak candidate.

“Giving PDP governorship ticket in Kogi State to Dino Melaye is like planning to fail because he doesn’t have what it takes to become governor of Kogi State.

“Tomorrow, you begin to cry that you were rigged out. But you’re already rigging yourself out by changing the delegates list to favour someone who cannot win election. It’s not about going to act movie on television and social media,” he said.

Wike recalled that the last time Dino wanted to contest that election, that it was Senator Bukola Saraki that brought Dino to meet him.

He added that the next time he saw Melaye in his house in Port Harcourt was when Atiku Abubakar came back from Dubai and visited him.

“Dino was part of his delegation to my house. At that point I called him aside and asked him if he had abandoned Saraki and joined Atiku, if I tell you what Dino said you will be shocked,” he said.

He alleged that Dino only knows how to abuse people and act drama to get favour.

Globad:
What's the relevance of this to his aspiration and ability to govern?

Has he demonstrated the much needed maturity to govern a state? 😴😒

Odogwuzack:
Fergie001 is deeply tribalistic.

Tonyebarcanista is far better.

A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) aspirant in the coming governorship primary in Kogi State, Senator Dino Melaye, has fired back at Rivers state Governor, Nyesom Wike for discrediting his gubernatorial ambition.

According to Melaye, going by his pedigree in politics, he is more qualified to be governor than Wike.

The PDP chieftain also played down the support of Wike, stating how he failed to support PDP’s Ademola Adeleke in Osun, only for Adeleke to emerge governor of the state; recounting other candidates Wike supported but went on to lose in the last general elections.

Melaye said, “I will want Nigerians to know that Wike was my biggest supporter when I ran for governorship in 2019, financially, and even otherwise. Apart from funding me to the tune of hundred of dollars in the last governorship election in 2019, he provided his private jet to drop me in Kogi on the day of the primary; that is to show you the level, magnitude and intensity of his support and belief in me. So the man who saw competence and capacity in me, and invested in that project, today in 2023, is saying that I am not qualified; the only explanation to that is psychotic disorderliness.

The only explanation to that is mental fatigue. Because I am not a bootlicker, because I refused to walk in alliance with your myopic agenda, because I have refused to corroborate your intellectual stagnancy. I am more qualified to be governor. To the glory of God, I have nine university degrees, I have been a member of the House of Reps, I have been elected twice to the Senate, I have been aide to the president of federal republic of Nigeria, so I don’t know who is more qualified to be governor between me and Wike.

He also said, “Wike should be reminded that Kogi is not Rivers, and the people of Kogi State would not worship any foreign God. Above all, Wike should also understand that power belongs to God, and He gives it to whoever he wants, even the basest of men. And but for this absolute and indiscriminate dispensation by God, how did a person like Nyesom Wike become a governor? Is it his oratory, diligence, finesse, wealth or intellectual endowment?”

Wike had on Tuesday rubbished Melaye’s governorship ambition, saying the PDP chieftain does not have what it takes to contest for the Kogi state’s governorship.

Wike disclose this during a live media chat with selected journalists in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.

He stated, “Why would Kogi people say they would vote for a candidate like Dino? Are we joking?

“When you give Dino that ticket, you know he won’t win in Kogi State,” Wike said during the parley.

According to Wike, the mere fact that someone is from a place does not equate to electoral success if such a person contests an election.

“Dino does not have what it takes [to be a governor] for crying out loud,” Wike maintained.

“He knows me very well. He does not have what it takes to be a governor.”

Wike added that if the PDP gives the ticket to Melaye, the party is doomed to lose the exercise.

KanwuliaExtra:
Stolen identity. . . .Stolen mandate.