President of Madonna University Alumni, Mr Chima Achu has condemned the ongoing economic crisis occasioned by the recent fuel scarcity that has left several businesses paralyzed across the country.
The President in a release issued on Tuesday morning decried the inability of President Goodluck Jonathan and his ousted team to address such salient issue as fuel scarcity.
He also bemoaned the drop in power supply and the non-payment of workers’ salaries, affirming that it was a monumental failure by an administration Nigerians had held in high esteem.
He said, ‘’ the condition millions of Nigerians found themselves today is akin to the Hobbesian State of Nature as we have never experienced this kind of hardship ever in this country. A country where there is no electricity, no fuel, no salaries can best be termed a failed state, justifying the declaration by the United States that we are a failed state. What a stifling country and economy! I have never seen a country that corruption and gross ineptitude of public officials have reduced the country to this kind of pariah state.
Questioning what happened to the Sovereign Wealth Fund, Chima said, ‘’ we were told that the essence of the Sovereign Wealth Fund was for the rainy days. However, with the inability of the FG to ensure salaries are paid calls for a deep reflection. We are yet to demonstrate that we have saved anything that could cushion the shortfalls being experienced as a result of the fall in oil prices,’ he lamented.
He questioned the rationale behind the long silence of the President and his economic team over the fuel scarcity that has now got complicated, saying , ‘’It took the current administration almost one month before any government official could comment on why we have been experiencing fuel scarcity. We are always aware that the subsidy payment is fraught with corruption with active connivance of NNPC and PPMC officials. Invoices were raised by importers and payments approved by both PPMC and NNPC without verification of the actual quantity of oil imported.
‘’The managers of the economy led by the Minister of Finance, Dr Okonjo Iweala failed to explain to us why workers are being owed, instead, they are trading blames with state governments.
”The President Elect, Gen Muhammed Buhari should as a matter of urgency declare a state of emergency in the power sector and immediately unbundle both NNPC and PPMC to enhance transparency and accountability in these sectors.”
Calling for the scrap of some agencies and parastatals to avoid duplication and corruption, the President said, ‘’ The Steve Oronsanye’s Report must be implemented to avoid the duplication of government agencies playing similar roles. Some should be merged and others completely scrapped.The President Elect must also ensure that credible technocrats are appointed and not professional politicians whose interests are to milk the country dry.”
Advocating for youth inclusiveness, he called on the incoming administration to consider ‘’ Nigeria youths in the new administration so as to inject fresh ideas, drive and energy. I hereby call for a 40% percent affirmative action for the youths in the new administration. The Nigerian youths have all it takes to serve in whatever capacity as other young people who are involved in decision making globally, ‘’ he said.
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