Senate President, Bukola Saraki, has stated
that the time for identifying the cause of the
economic recession and those responsible for
it is over and that all political leaders should
start working together to find a solution.
At an interactive press briefing with media
correspondents in Kwara State, after
observing the Eid-el-Kabir prayers in Ilorin,
Saraki said the Senate on resumption will
respond to the economic
crisis with a number of measures which
include getting managers of the economy to
give account to the people, making tough
recommendations to the President on needed
changes, formulating necessary legislative
framework for economic recovery and wide
consultations across the private sector.
He reiterated his call for a broader and
bolder economic plan with input from both
legislative and executive arms of
government, the private sector, professional
groups. All the groups, he said, must work
together to put in place interventions that
will create more jobs, strengthen the Naira,
bring more investment into the country, and
diversify the economy. Saraki, who served as
a Special Assistant to the President on
Budget Matters during the Obasanjo
administration and Chairman of Governors
Forum said the economy will be the focus of
the Senate when it resumes plenary and
throughout its remaining session.
“We are going to have an exhaustive and
comprehensive debate on fixing the country’s
economy when we resume next week. We
understand the pains that Nigerians are
feeling and we do not take this for granted.
Additionally, the Senate intends to invite
everybody involved in the management of the
economy to address the Nigerian people
through the parliament on the steps that are
being taken to get us out of this mess. We
fully intend to hold all those involved in the
economic management of the country
accountable - However, we will do so in a
manner that is transparent and there will be
no cover-up. We will make tough
recommendations as necessary”, he added.
The Senate President said it was equally
important to begin to interrogate what
happened to the measures aimed at
cushioning the effect of the recession built
into the 2016 budget and why they have not
been implemented.
“We need to know why the promises of
external borrowing has not materialised, why
devaluation has not helped to strengthen the
Naira, why inflow of foreign currency has
continued to dry up and interest rate is still
very high.
Doing this will help us to
understand where we are, so that we can
determine where exactly we want to go from
here.
“In every crisis, there is always an
opportunity for positive reforms, in this
regard, in order to solve this crisis, all hands
must be on deck. Ideas should be sourced
from all quarters.
All arms of government,
people of different political beliefs, from all
socio-economic backgrounds and every part
of Nigeria must work together at this time”
he said..
He said the Senate will meet with
stakeholders in the private sector to ensure it
collates a broad spectrum of opinions while
formulating ideas to stimulate the economy.
He said all political leaders should be
worried about the suffering that the ordinary
people are going through and that it is
necessary for leaders to further empathise
with the people. He commended the people
for their perseverance and understanding.
While calling on the people to exercise
patience and know that political leaders are
genuinely concerned about their plight,
Saraki said: “The positive attitude
demonstrated by our people during the Eid-
el-Kabir festival gave me hope that we in the
leadership of the country should move swiftly
to tackle this economic crisis. We have no
option and this we must do without delay. I
commend and praise our people for their
perseverance and understanding”, he said.
Saraki also appealed to newsmen and women
around the country to play a more positive
role in reporting on issues that are important
to the development of the country,
highlighting that the fourth estate has to
work harder to inform the public based on
facts.
“I want to use this opportunity to advise
those politicians who specialise in causing
division between the executive and
legislature for their personal benefit to know
that this is not the right time for them to ply
their trade. We need all arms and levels of
government to work together with the people
because we are in an economic emergency
and all hands must be on deck”, he said.
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