Engage Technocrats to Tackle Nigeria’s Growing Debt Profile, Senators Task Tinubu

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Senator Representing Kogi West in the 9th National Assembly,  Smart Adeyemi, has urged the President Elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to embark on aggressive debt forgiveness campaign on assumption of office next week.

His call came just as a member of the 7th Senate, Senator Olufunke Raji Rasaki, appealed to Tinubu to involve first class economists and highly rated technocrats in his government in order to reshape the nation’s bad economy.

While Adeyemi spoke with journalists in Abuja, Raji-Rasaki expressed her views in a statement made available to journalists  yesterday.

Adeyemi said the country should not be allowed to collapse because of debts.

He also urged the Nigerian creditor nations abroad to as a matter of necessity erite off the debts since most of the debts were spent on consumption.

The Senator also said he was opposed to the Muhammadu Buhari administration taking additional loans  a few days to the end of its tenure.

He specifically kicked against the current request of $800 million by Buhari.

He said: “There is nothing bad in Asiwaju Bola Tinubu championing the call for debt forgiveness.” 

“He should say no to repayment of debts, telling the creditor nations that  with the economic recession we cannot pay, you know why we can not pay, in the last 10 years, Europe should look at the  capital flows from Africa to their nation.

“Let them probe all the monies that came from African nations a good percentage of this money were stolen money.

“ So let them take their loans from the money that has been starched in their nation.

“Don’t allow the poor to pay for the sin of the rich. For me African nations should start to ask for debt forgiveness, we can’t pay, we don’t have the means to pay, they should write it off and with your support it will be possible.

“African nations must team up. Developing nations must team to tell Asia, Europe and America that we can no longer pay any foreign debts.

“We would not allow our people to die, the populace should not die for loans that have been taken that some are inexplicable.

 “For me the $800 million they asking for personally I don’t think it is going to fly in the National Assembly as we are about to wind down.

The National Assembly will not support any new loan I don’t think so. If it happens I will not support it.

“The loans that we have taken is enough. African nations should rise up, we can not pay.‘’

Raji-Rasaki assured Nigerians that Tinubu and his Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima, will  guarantee a rebirth of the nation into economic buoyancy and peaceful coexistence.

She said Tinubu had all it takes to take Nigeria out of the woods.

She said: “This is the time to stand as one. The more we fight the less peace we will have among us.  The time has come for all well meaning Nigerians to wake up to the responsibility of building a nation, safer, stronger and prosperous for our children. “

“The incoming administration is up to the task of giving back to the electorates the yearnings for quick repositioning

“I want to assure you that Tinubu’s administration will unlock Nigeria’s growth potential with new economic policies.”