Photo credit: the Punch
It is no news that Nigeria’s economy is now ‘depressed’. Although I don’t believe we deserve this, the chickens have come home to roost.
We, through our acts of omission,collusion and complacency are all guilty. Have we forgotten the earlier governments, prodded by us, were raising our salaries? OK, Udoji, Williams, Ani,etc.
The Udoji awards were even stylish because they were peculiar. Workers were even getting arrears of their increased salaries.
I believe Nigeria could not have won the civil war without petrodollars. Those were the days when the ruling csar declared that money wasn’t Nigeria’s problem but how to spend it. I am glad to see that he is alive to witness the results of his failure.
Yes, his failure. I very much believe that he could have made Nigeria an industrial hub.
By the way, were the regions in the first republic, depending on the center for allocations. Were they not surviving?
Let’s go back to the brass tacks. In the first instance,we should commence on massive value added agricultural programmes.
Second, we should try and exploit all mineral resources.
Third, we should try as much as possible to reduce the cost of governance.
Fourth, let us go into fiscal federalism. I don’t believe there is any state in Nigeria that can’t be self-sufficient.
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