Posted on: 02:48 Wed, 12 Jul 2017

Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo has spoken out on why Nigeria was fortunate to have a 'straightforward and 'honest' leader like President Muhammadu Buhari.



While speaking at the Quarterly Presidential Business Forum held at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Tuesday, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, assured that with Buhari-led government’s focus and commitment, is to turnaround the Nigerian economy in 12 to 18 months.

Osinbajo who said the Muhammadu Buhari administration has the discipline to deliver on the promises it made, added that the government has identified critical areas to deal with and was, working hard on providing solutions, and urged the private sector to partner with government to move Nigeria forward.

He said: “When Mr President launched the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (EGRP) sometimes in April, one of the things that he emphasised was the fact that we have made up our minds as to where we are going.

“And I think that we have the discipline to be able to do so, but this is a complex environment, is a complex economy and I think that we must trust the government.

“And I have said this repeatedly, that in some sense we are fortunate to have a leader like the president who at least we know, a straightforward and honest, and committed to ensuring government expenditure is spent the way it should be spent, and that people don’t do what they like.

“To that extent, I think we have the right environment at least in terms of government discipline and all of that, to be able to deliver on the promises that we have made.

“And all I will just want to say to the private sector is to be sure that we have enough willing and able partners.

“There is no way we can ever be perfect. I mean government is a behemoth where there are so many problems and issues.

“But do not doubt for one moment at all, our commitment to ensuring that we are able to deliver on the promises that we have made.
“Day after day, night after night we are working on these things.

Practically every night, we work on these issues.
“I believe very strongly that Nigeria will turn around. I have no doubt in my mind that if we are focussed even in the next 12 to 18 months, if we are focussed, we will certainly see a turn around.

“And I really would want you to join us in being able to ensure that this happens to the Nigerian economy.”

Noting that commitment must come from both the government and the private sector, the Acting President added: “What we have done is that we have identified certain critical things that must be done. We know that there are certain things that if we do them, they will move the nation forward.

“And those things are one, just as a general thing, stabilizing the macro economic environment, second, energy sufficiency, power and petroleum, improving transportation infrastructure, achieving agriculture and food security.

“On each and every one of these items, certainly progress is being made, and of course fighting corruption, controlling government expenditure, controlling leakages and all of that. On everyone of these items progress is being made.”