The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC)- led administration to pay urgent attention to the management of the economy.
The call is contained in a statement by PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh, in Abuja on Monday.
It claimed that its worry stemmed from the fact that the economy had remained on rapid fall since the last four months.
According to the statement, the fall is “apparently due to the absence of clear-cut fiscal policy direction and an economic team to deal with the domestic and global challenges associated with a developing economy.’’
It said PDP was in full support of President Muhammadu Buhari’s efforts in tackling corruption and insurgency but was concerned about the economic situation of Nigeria.
The party said it was worried that the government had not paid attention to indices from global economic watchers in spite of its predictable negative impact.
The statement said as a responsible party, PDP was duty-bound, beyond politics, to draw the president’s attention to the fact that under the prevailing circumstances, the economy was threatened.
It stated that the situation had become more worrisome following the “failure of APC administration to articulate any interventionist policy at this critical moment’’, especially against predictions that oil might sell for 20 dollars.
“We caution strongly that this approach to governance is not healthy for our nation,’’ the party said.
It said time had come for the president to take urgent steps to set up a crack economic team of experts to immediately swing into action and salvage the economy.
“In managing this economy at this time, we urge the president, as the father of the nation, to look beyond partisan politics.
“He should ensure that the policy frameworks and populist economic projects laid by the PDP administration, especially in the non-oil sectors are not allowed to rot but adequately utilised for the good of all.’’
It advises the APC administration to pay attention to various agricultural projects and programmes established in Nigeria by the PDP administrations, especially in the northern part.
The projects include various dams and irrigation projects, the e-wallet financial empowerment system to farmers, associated to the over two million direct farm jobs.
Others are the Green Belt project under Presidential Initiative on Afforestation in Kano and 10 other northern states, all in line with PDP’s agenda to return the region as the food basket of the nation.
“The PDP believes that in the interest of millions of Nigerians citizens who look up to the political class for direction, it is now imperative on the APC-led federal government to pay deserving attention to the economy.
“The administration should continue the policy of the past administration of opening the space for harnessing indigenous potentials,” it said.
