President
of the Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on has stated that the time
for identifying the cause of the economic recession and those
responsible was over and that all
political leaders should start working together to find a solution.
Saraki
at an interactive press briefing with media correspondents in Kwara
State, after observing the Eid-el-Kabir prayers in Ilorin on Monday 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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