Hope for Nigeria

As Nigeria celebrates its 56th Independence Anniversary, citizens and the governments are pre-occupied with the challenges associated with the current recession. Associate Editor, Sam Egburonu, reports the views of some experts, public officials and other stakeholders on the way out

ONE word that captures the mood of most Nigerians as they celebrate the country's 56th Independence Anniversary this weekend is anxiety. The Nation investigation shows that both the citizens and public officials publicly expressed fear over the challenges arising from the current economic recession. As the citizens worry over the government's plans to alleviate the sufferings in the land and restore the country to its prosperous path, officials show concern at the people's seeming lack of trust in their ability and determination to overcome the current recession.

Even before yesterday's anniversary, which afforded the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government the opportunity to reassure concerned citizens, eminent Nigerians, including former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, have offered suggestions on how to overcome the recession.

Obasanjo had emphasized the need for Nigeria "to borrow, spend less and earn more to get out of the current economic recession."

He made that suggestion in Abeokuta at the opening ceremony of the National Council on Finance and Economic Development Conference (NACOFED).

According to him, the major problem with Nigeria is that "we are spending more than we are earning and we have not been able to save for the rainy day".

He therefore offered "a three-fold solution of borrowing, spending less and earning more to the economic challenges of the nation."

For the former Lagos State Governor and National Leader, All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, "the economic recession the country is going through requires sacrifice from all Nigerians to see the country through."

He made his contribution at the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers' investiture of its President, Mr. Oluwaseyi Emmanuel Abe, in Lagos.

The former Lagos State governor also emphasized "the significance of electricity in driving economic development," even as he recalled how Lagos State "invested in private power project during his time as governor."

In that same event, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, said "the country should rely on taxes and not oil, pointing out that Nigeria's biggest problem "is addiction to oil revenues," even as he decried the belief that the country is doomed "unless oil flows and oil money fills the Federation Account for our tiers of government to share."

In order to douse the tension in the land, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosu, had to announce that Nigeria was already getting out of the recession.

She was quoted as making this declaration in her closing remarks at a two-day conference of National Council of Finance and Economic Development (NACOFED) in Abeokuta on Wednesday, September 29, even as she said the "Federal Government had taken steps that were in the best interest of the citizens."

As she puts it: "We are already getting out of recession because of the actions the Federal Government is taking, if you are in a problem, the day you start to step towards progression, you are already getting out of it.

"The government is investing more in capital than we have ever invested, we are sorting out infrastructures, we are stopping wastage and so the sign of recovery is already there," she said.

This assurance notwithstanding, some Nigerians and organised stakeholders expressed fear before and during the anniversary celebrations.

One of such stakeholders is the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), which, shortly before the anniversary not only lamented "the current monetary and fiscal policies being implemented by the Federal Government," but also faulted the position of the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Godwin Emefiele, who projected that the country "would be out of recession in the fourth quarter of this year."

According to reports, the President of ACCI, Mr. Tony Ejinkeonye, in a statement said the chamber was of the view that the federal government had not put in place adequate measures to address the current economic challenges.

He said, "We have economic recession, economic recovery and economic boom. It takes a period of five years for a country to recover from recession before it can start talking of economic boom, that is, if the right measures are in place.

"We are yet to know the physical measures the government has put in place to enable us know that we are on the right track.

"Even when the right decisions and policies are set out, we do not agree that recovery will come too soon.

"That means they have only one quarter to get us out of the recession that is so deep. We do not believe that. It will take a while," they said in the statement.

We are destined for greatness, if . Mark

Another top public official that commented during the week on the country's current economic challenges is the immediate past President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, who stated that the current difficulties would be overcome if the government and the people are ready to do the right thing. He said "in spite of the bottlenecks, the nation is destined for greatness."

In a statement signed by his Media Assistant, Paul Mumeh, Mark canvassed for policy consistency regretting that "development in the country has been largely encumbered by inconsistencies in policy formulation and implementation."

Also in his goodwill message to the country on her 56th Independence Anniversary, Mark "urged for love and unity of purpose among Nigerians irrespective of religious, political and ethnic affiliations, adding that such is the only way the nation can realise its full potentials with all the abundant human and natural resources."

He recalled "the ill-fated 30 months old Nigeria/Biafra fratricidal civil strife, the intermittent ethno-religious conflicts, the Boko Haram insurgency as well as the emergence of militant groups and canvassed for greater commitment and unity against all forms of violence and criminality in the land."

He was of the view that "if Nigeria has gone through all these travails and remained one indivisible country, there is indeed no challenge we cannot overcome if we jettison our differences and come together as one people with a common destiny and mission."

The lawmaker also appealed to those behind the current wave of insurgencies and militancy to have a rethink "because there is no other country they can call theirs if they destroy Nigeria. Whatever grievances or misgivings; resorting to violence is not an option because we have various organs or channels established to seek redress."

Mark also lamented the negative consequences of the security challenges in the country, saying, "We have more reasons and gains to live together in peace than otherwise. No nation achieves greatness by incessant violence and infighting. We are not only wasting the lives of our compatriots but also destroying our commonwealth as a nation, because we are deploying our scarce national resources in fighting insurgents and militants instead of on developmental projects.

"Indeed, this is not the way to go. We have had enough of violence and bloodletting. It is time for us all to renew our bond of brotherhood and live harmoniously. We must all accept the challenge to chart a new course and make Nigeria a better place. Happily, democracy, which we all accept as the best form of government offers opportunities for everyone to realise his or her potential because it is participatory and representative."

He also commented on the present economic recession, pleading with Nigerians not to despair. He therefore called on the Federal Government "to look inwards for solution by, among others things, exploring opportunities in local industries, manufacturing and agriculture, with incentives for them to thrive."

According to him, this will "create wealth by boosting investments and employments in critical sectors of the economy as well as ensure food security in the land."

Recession: Governments should find ways of cushioning effects- Okpala

Senior Special Assistant to the Anambra State Governor on Media and Strategic Communications, Prince Oliver Okpala, also has some words for governments on how to survive the current recession.

He advised governments at all levels to urgently find creative ways of cushioning the effects of the current economic recession confronting the nation. He gave the advice at a forum on the recent palliative measures by the state government.

Okpala explained that governments had the responsibility of thinking outside the box to ease the suffering of their people.

He said the need to alleviate the hardships occasioned by the recession made the Anambra State Government to abolish a wide range of levies and taxes across the state, adding that the decision was taken out of Governor Willie Obiano's love for the people which he said should be the bedrock of leadership.

He called on other states to emulate Anambra which is not an oil producing state but pays its workers as at when due and has also cleared pension areas.

On the establishment of a committee to look into security breaches in some communities in the state, Okpala said the move is to consolidate on earlier efforts by the Obiano administration that has made Anambra a peaceful state.

He urged all Nigerians to close ranks, irrespective of party affiliations, to overcome the current economic challenges.

. Be patient with Buhari, Igbo group tells Nigerians

The Buhari South-East Youth Movement (BUSEYM) has appealed to Ndigbo and Nigerians to be patient and show support to President Muhammadu Buhari on the present economic crisis and to always put the affairs of the nation before God in order to get out fast from the present state of recession in the country.

Rising from an executive session in Enugu, the Enugu state capital, the group appealed to Nigerians, most especially the people of the South-East zone, whose businesses the recession has greatly impacted on, not to lose hope with the government but to support and pray for the president.

The organisation's Director-General, Engr. Nwabueze Onwuneme and National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Igwe Samuel Obinna, said the events preceding the recession was mostly due to corrupt practices as revealed today in almost all sectors of government businesses and establishments, the mono-economy ran by previous PDP-led administrations which was centred mostly on oil, leading to neglect of other viable economic sectors like agriculture, solid minerals and lack of good economic policies to drive industrialization.

The group, which also commended the 'change begins with me' initiative of the federal government, agreed with the recent statement by the Minister for Transport, Chibuike Amaechi, who was the Chairman of Nigerian Governors Forum then, that the country went into recession during the time of the immediate past government.

On a fact finding visit to Atakwu village in Akegbeugwu, Nkanu West Local Government Area which was recently attacked by herdsmen the group condemned in its entirety the wanton killings and called on security agencies to rise up to the situation which it described as becoming too frequent while asking the people to defend themselves by any means necessary whenever the need arises.