Don’t Blame Fg Over Nigeria’s Economic Woes – Ita Solomon Enang

Source: thewillnigeria.com

BEVERLY HILLS, March 29, (THEWILL) – Ita Solomon Enang, Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly (Senate) Matters to President Muhammadu Buhari, has cautioned that the blame for the economic downturn in Nigeria should not be on the Federal Government alone.

He declared that it is a mark of irresponsibility for states and local governments that cannot meet it social contract with her citizens to blame the Federal Government for their failures.

Speaking in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, Enang, a former Senator, revealed that the Buhari administration was focusing on boosting the local manufacturing sector, employment creation, agriculture and education aimed at stimulating the manufacturing sector.

“The harsh economic situation is not a creation of the Federal Government. States and Local Government should take the blame when they fail to pay salaries, and provide other social services expected by the citizenry,” he said.

“Nigerians should know that when revenues are generated, they are channelled to one source, that is, the Federal Government joint account. After 30 days, whatever money is generated is shared to the three tiers.

“The federal government only takes a certain percentage, as well as the States and Local Government Councils. The onus now is on citizens of each State and local government to ask their Governors and Chairmen where they keep their share of the allocation.

“We have adopted a policy that supports modular refineries for refining of crude oil. There are vistas for employment in sectors as education, security and agriculture.”

He disclosed that emphasis was also on agriculture as key to diversifying the economy as he debunked claims that there were two versions of the 2016 appropriations bill submitted to the National Assembly by President Buhari.

He added that there was no case of missing budget and padding in the budget as some persons wanted Nigerians to believe saying that when the issue came up, the President wrote to the National Assembly and owned up that the version of the budget before the legislature was the one he submitted.

Story by David Oputah