CHRSJ cautions Buhari against blaming Corona virus for 2020 Budget upheaval

Mon, Mar 16, 2020
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Economy

THE Executive Chairman of the Centre for Human Rights and Social Justice, CHRSJ, Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman, has cautioned President Muahmadu Buhari led Federal Government to stop blaming the current upheaval being experienced in the implementation of the 2020 budget on the prevailing Coronal Virus upheaval.

Rather, Sulaiman stated that what the government lacked was the competence to manage the nation’s economy in a sustainable manner.

In a statement issued on Saturday by the leadership of CHRSJ, Sulaiman accused the All Progressives Congress, (APC led government for its inability to pull the country out of its economic recession contrary to its claim of having done otherwise.

The group was responding to the claims of the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Zainab Ahmed, who blamed the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak as the reason for the decision of the government to review its 2020 national budget of N10.95 trillion.

The group noted that the reason adduced is not genuine, owing to the nature of the mono-economy system which the country operates, which it states is seriously affecting the economy of the country presently.

He lampooned the present administration that promised to diversify the nation’s economy and five years down the line, Nigeria still relies on one product to put up its 2020 budget,

According to the group, blaming the budget crisis on coronavirus is a lame excuse nurtured by gross incompetence of the current administration.

Sulaiman stated that the manifest incompetence of the current government has brought about the growing mass poverty in the country as evident in the number of Nigerians wallowing in abject poverty.

To the group, the Muhammadu Buhari led government has not been doing anything meaningful on the need to broaden the nation’s economic base in a sustainable manner that would ensure that the people are productively engaged for meaningful economic endeavours.

He also faulted the claim of President Buhari as having lifted about 100 million Nigerians out of poverty, adding that no serious country like Nigeria would rely on mono-economy to lift her people out of poverty.

The rights activist advised the federal government to seriously and aggressively make use of agriculture as the next point of call to diversify the Nigerian economy, adding that paying lip service to the issue of diversification of the economy would not take the country anywhere.

According to Sulaiman, “It is a shame that the government that promised to diversify the economy through vigorous agricultural engagement is now complaining about the crash of the oil price in the world market. Over-reliance on only oil product as a catalyst for the nation’s economy is seriously affecting the growth and development of the country.”

– Mar. 16, 2020 @ 12:15 GMT |

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