By Olalekan Olawale
The federal government of Nigeria has been called upon to end extravagant spending and block all leakages in government in order to have stable economy, with a view to remove Nigerians from the present hardship they are facing.
Kayode Ogundele made the call in an interview with NewsDirect. He said government at all levels need to change tactics to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians.
According to him, Nigeria has great hope if there is the political will. There is need to change our style of governance and reduce extravagant spending, and borrowing to finance budget.
Ogundele, who is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, noted that there is need to revamp the economy through agriculture, stable electricity. “We have to change our mindset and return home, and look at what we can do inward in order to end importation.
Ogundele described the state of the country’s economy as worrisome, saying inflation has taken the centre stage. He said this is another period we will be having highest inflation in the country.
He added that Nigeria is not operating an economic nation. This is as bad as the economy is, the poor is becoming more poorer even the rich among us are also crying now.
“The hardship the people are going through is high especially when the goverment removed subsidy from the petroleum. Although, subsidy removal is good, but there must be a perfect way to cushion the effects on people and not just to suddenly bring things for the people.
“Despite the fact that people are suffering, the Senate and the House of Representatives members are living in luxury. The executive are going abroad with retinue of aids on the finance of goverment. The political functionaries are living in luxury.
“A lot of people are angry today due to economic hardship being faced. It seems we are not ready to provide solutions to this menace. The budget is noting but wasteful, budgeting billions of naira to the office of first lady, proposed new building for the vice president, all these are parts of our extravagant spending”, he said.
Ogundele said the present inflation is too high that a lot of people are becoming poorer, adding that people died due to their inability to take care of their health.
He averred that there is still hope if we have the courageous people in goverment. “Let’s see how president Bola Ahmed Tinubu will revamp the economy within years ahead. Nigeria should be taken back to a productive nation where the country will be producing”.
“Nigeria is using her resources to manage politics which is driving us backwards. We need leaders who are right minded like the president of Zambia who sacrificed for the development of the country. We are managing politics than the economy, that is why we are in these problems.
“We need a president that will manage the economy not politics and if this is done, Nigeria will be off this challenge. Politics is consuming most of our resources. It is a political patronage everywhere. We need a nation that can produce not consuming.
“The investors will come when everything is right. There is need for stage power supply. Eradicate corruption and make things work. If we have everything functioning, we are off the track of problem”, Ogundele declared.
Speaking on one year administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke, Ogundele who is chieftain of the PDP, said the governor has been performing, saying a lot of people thought he would not perform but he has surprised everybody including party members.
He noted that the Governor is a person who takes advice. He makes yOsun agenda his priority, stressing that no local government without 2 kilometres of roads despite the dwindling economy he met when he assumed office.
“He manages to do a lot of things. He has a good relationship with the workforce in the state and by the time he moves to second year, I believe he would have done many things.
“The oppositions are just being economical with the truth. They are crying wolf where there is none. They know the truth but just being half clever.
“The Governor inherited an indebted state but today he had tried. He still manages the economy to ensure that everyone enjoys dividends of democracy. All what the oppositions are doing is a rant. Let’s do comparison of this government and last administration”, he said.
He stressed further that the last administration did not do anything in its first year. It is a propaganda. They are just making a noise now. The present government does not even see workers’welfare as an achievement but statutory role of government.
“The people should be allowed to assess the present government not the propagandists.They are political business men and women. I knew what was happening there while still with them because I was formerly a Local Government party chairman in the state.
“They should do constructive criticism and not pool-him-down-syndrome criticism. The people should expect more of monumental projects in Osun”, Ogundele concluded.
