Former Abia State governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, has advised President Muhammad Buhari to source for funds, including from the International Monetary Fund(IMF) and inject same into the economy to enable the country come out of its current economic recession.
Such money, he reasoned, could be channeled into massive roads/bridges construction, and other infrastructural projects.
Dr Kalu gave the advice in Port Harcourt at the weekend, while fielding questions from newsmen during the official opening of Swiss Spirit Hotel.
According to him, majority of Nigerians are artisans, who could become role players in the country’s economy, if the Federal Government could pay more attention to agriculture another non-oil sectors. Once the artisans are active, the economy will be active.” he said.
He posited that money spent on infrastructural development would eventually create more jobs for the citizenry, and engage those who were already out of work.
The former governor explained that President Buhari’s experience as former military Head of State, places him in a position to take the country out of recession, and make the economy to flourish once again.
He said 2017 had started on a promising note, indicating that the economic growth would be high this year, but appealed to the President to stimulate the economy “for the survival of Nigerians and the country.”
“Everybody knows that the country is very bad. Everybody knows that businesses are not doing well. So, in this kind of situation, it behoves the Federal Government to create emergency laws, and authorization, from the National Assembly to be able to put stimulus immediately.
“The Federal Government should look for money from anywhere and pour into the economy. That money should go into road construction, bridges and into agriculture,” he said.
He dismissed the belief in some quarters that the president is being controlled by a cabal , adding, “he cannot allow himself to be controlled by forces that want his administration to fail.”
He said: “Buhari had been president before, it should not accepted with this issue of people controlling him because he was a two-star army General before he ruled us , he was Minister of Petroleum, he was Chairman of PTF and I advise that he should take the bull by the horns, go immediately and conquer Nigeria, economically. Nigerians need to be conquered. People like us, who, day before yesterday, I was in PDP, yesterday, I was in PPA, today, I am in APC, so he needs to surprise us, that our people should be eating from the table. It is very important because, if Nigerians don’t eat every day, it is dangerous for leadership.”
Kalu also believes that Buhari has a competent team working with him, but urged him to address the needs of Nigerians.
He advised Nigerians not to wait for people to give them free money, adding, “it is not possible , people roll up their sleeves and work for their money, this is how it is done, and the money will be sweeter to spend.”
He urged Nigerians to invest in agriculture to create more job opportunities, as well as investing more in the non-oil sector, adding that “oil is toxic.”