NBA Conference: Obi,Atiku, Shettima chart way forward for economy

 I’ll not  handover federal varsities to state govts says PDP flagbearer

VICTORY ORIMEMI

Some presidential candidates in the 2023 election have spoken on how to make the Nigerian economy more viable.

Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP, Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party, SDP and Dumebi Kachikwu of the African Democratic Congress, ADC spoke at a plenary session on Monday in Victoria Island Lagos.

Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, was represented by his running mate, Kashim Shettima.

The Nigerian currency, Naira has been depreciating in the parallel market compared to the dollar.

But the candidates offered their solutions to the economic instability at the Nigerian Bar Association’s Annual General Conference with the theme – ‘Bold Transitions’ being held at the Eko Hotels in Victoria Island.

The 62nd NBA conference officially opened on 19 August and will continue till 26 August.

Social Democratic Party’s candidate, Mr. Adebayo said that one of the ways of making the Naira stable is to refrain from having “a dual system where one person who has a friend in the Central bank can make $30 million dollars by buying at the official rate and selling to the hard-working people” at an increased rate.

He added that “importers and supermarket owners should not be making more money than manufacturers and farmers.”

The Labour Party’s Presidential candidate, on the other hand, said the “only way” to stabilise the Naira is for the Nigerian economy to “move from consumption to production.”

Obi said Nigeria must be able to manufacture and export to earn dollars to stabilise the Naira.

Senator Shettima, the Vice Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said that an “important tool of growing the economy”, is ”diversification of sources of our income.

“Ours is a great nation in chains. Chained by ineptitude, chained by corruption and chained by incapacity,” he said.

“This is why it is absolutely important to grow the economy.”

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar said there were two ways to stabilise the economy.

He explained that the “multiple exchange rate,” must be “abolished.”

He added that the “convergence of official and unofficial rates” must be allowed.

Meanwhile, Atiku has said he has no plans to handover federal government universities to state government.

According to a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, “We have noticed with dismay the mischievous misinterpretation of what the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, said at the plenary of the 62nd annual conference of the Nigerian Bar Association as it relates to education and how to address the crisis in the sector.

“For the avoidance of doubt, Atiku did not say that he will handover Federal Universities to state governments if he is elected president come February next year.

“The report is false, untrue, unfounded and not a true reflection of what Atiku Abubakar said while responding to a question on devolution of powers, a key component of his policy framework.

“What the PDP presidential candidate referred to was his plans for a phased devolution of power to the federating units.

“The report in some sections of the media is therefore a  misleading and false account of what transpired when the PDP Presidential candidate fielded questions as a panelist at the opening ceremony of the NBA conference.

“In answering the question posed to him, Atiku Abubakar merely recalled his engagement with a university professor where he argued that the United States of America shared similarities with the first set of universities in Nigeria which belonged to the regional governments and noted that with proper planning and phased devolution of power, federal universities that have now become unwieldy could be made to work better under the component federating units.

“He also maintained that education would remain in the concurrent list under his administration when elected.

“The report was clearly a misleading one designed to cast aspersion on the person of the former Vice President and to create an impression that he will shirk his responsibilities if he is elected president in the next presidential poll due in February 2023.

“We wish to restate Atiku Abubakar’s avowed commitment to education as a game changer for socio-economic development and national security.
“He remains concerned about the prolonged strike by university teachers and restates his position that under his watch the ASUU-FG imbroglio will be better managed in the interest of both the students and academic staff.

“To underscore his commitment to address the structural deformities in our system, the former Vice President also disclosed that he had empanelled a committee of judiciary experts to draft a presidential position paper which will guide his administration, if elected, from day one, on the terms and conditions of transfer of power and resources to the other layers of government aimed at making the federal government leaner and more effective in its core functions.
“We implore media organisations to be wary of unfounded stories in the course of carrying out their constitutionally guaranteed responsibility of informing, educating and entertaining the people”.

and unofficial rates” must be allowed.