Our Economic Policies Already Yielding Good Results -Buhari
President, Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday said the various economic policies propounded by his administration have started to yield the desired results.
President Buhari stated this at a session with members of the Organised Private Sector held at Lagos House, Marina, before proceeding to the Teslim Balogun Stadium, venue for All Progressives Congress (APC) Mega rally held in Lagos.
He said it was gratifying to note that the economic policies of his administration were already making the desired impact as evidenced by steady growth in the economy in the last three years.
The president added that the APC government had kept the promise to boost the economy through blocking leakages in government finances, increasing capital expenditure and inflows, and implementing the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), among others.
“I firmly believe that our economic policies are beginning to make the desired impact. Economic growth has resumed and is continuing to improve. Growth was higher in 2017 than in 2016, data even from external sources shows that it was also higher in 2018 than in 2017. I am confident that as we stay the course, it will be better still at the end of 2019.
“Inflation is coming down steadily, there is stability in the exchange rate and foreign exchange is readily available for genuine business. Foreign reserves are adequate and growing; capital inflows have increased and the trade balance is positive.
“We are paying off debts that were not even publicly acknowledged before now, including those owed to States, the electricity sector, oil marketers, exporters, backlog of salaries of workers and pensioners, amongst others,’’ he said.
Among the organizations which made presentations to the President at the session were Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN), Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), and Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises (NASME).
Speaking at the APC mega rally Buhari vowed to recover the nation’s stolen money from looters and send them to prison.
According to him, he would first of all recover the money from them before sending them to prison, calling on Lagosians to vote for him and other APC candidates from ‘the bottom to the top’.
Also speaking at the event, National leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu said the votes from Lagos is sure for Buhari as he had delivered on his promises.
According to him, the event was a celebration of democracy and not about the campaign of Buhari because, “Lagos is sure, very sure for the APC. This is a broom revolution. You’ve heard our state chairman who had catalogued when Buhari came here to campaign four years ago, he did not make fluke promises. We saw the action.”
Tinubu also attacked former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, blaming him for the poor supply of electricity in the nation.
“Then, Obasanjo came. We taught them that there was no other way to have business evolution and revolution in this country without steady power supply. I introduced independent generating power projects in Badagry. What did he do? He and Atiku opposed it. I went to court. Who was my lawyer in court? Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. I won in court and we started generating 300MW, the first state to do it.
“Imagine, that was in 1999. If Nigeria was dedicated to electricity generation, you would not see Dunlop and Michelin move out of the country. Look at our roads, look at the vehicular density in Lagos alone,’ Tinubu lamented.
The former also attacked Atiku Abubakar’s running mate, Dr. Peter Obi, saying he was only vast in creating a ‘container economy’, rather than real jobs.
“And they call one man Obi, in one party, saying he will create jobs. He has not been able to tell us how we can make brake parts for those vehicles, how we can make wheel spanners on our own for those vehicles.
“And he said maybe he can go and expand the port in Benin Republic so we can clear our cargoes faster. I call that ‘container economy, Obi China,” he said.
Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode said Lagos had been delivered to the APC already, saying that the achievements his administration recorded would not have been possible without the support of Buhari.
According to him, this election was not about religion, but about infrastructure, as had been replicated in Lagos with the support of Buhari.
“In the first two years, we were in economic recession caused by the PDP, but we have stabilised, PDP said they will make Nigeria work again, yet they destroyed Nigeria. We should vote for APC for continuity and for more jobs,” he said.
“In and outside of the stadium, you can see the crowd that has turned out here and we are very grateful that Lagos has been signed, sealed and delivered to APC already. The message is very clear.
“We appreciate Mr. President for his support to our State in the last three and half years. The achievements that we have recorded in Lagos were possible because of his support. This election is not about tribe or religion, it’s about infrastructure, jobs and the economy and the right path to go is to go to the APC
“if you see what we are going in Lagos already, you will see that the Airport road is not for the Yorubas or the Igbos or the Hausas, its about making life comfortable for Nigerians and that is why Mr. President has continually supported all our projects by even refunding some of the funds we used for capital projects so that we can complete more projects,” Ambode said.
National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole said Buhari was the only Nigerian President that the British Prime Minister could not call a thief and a president that US president, Donald Trump could admit was fighting corruption.
He attacked Atiku for saying that when he becomes president, he would enrich his friend at the expense of the poor, saying that the former vice president was only saying the truth of what he was going to do and what he had always done.
Oshiomhole also berated Atiku for saying that he would grant amnesty to rich people who had stolen the money of the nation, adding that Buhari is a president of the masses.
The Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, in his speech, appealed to the electorate to vote for all APC candidates in the Feb.16 and March 2, general elections.
He urged the people to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ready and vote en-masse for APC, saying that re-electing APC would bring more prosperity and development, among other dividends of democracy.
“After voting, please wait behind for it to be counted in your presence. We cannot allow our votes to be rubbished,” he said.
Some of the dignitaries at the event include the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, National Leader of APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Chief Bisi Akande, APC Lagos Governorship Candidate, Mr Babajide Sanwo-olu, Gov. Atiku Bagudu, Gov. Abiola Ajimobi, Gov. Kayode Fayemi of Kebbi, Oyo and Ekiti states, respectively.
