Senate committee chairman tasks FG on economic recession

The Chairman Senate Committee on Governmental Affairs, Senator Tijjani Kaura, has tasked the Federal Government to be more steadfast, towards addressing and proffering solution to the economic recession in the country, saying the government must be frank and tell Nigerians the state of the economy.

Senator Kaura stated this in his opening remark at the three days Think Tank conference, on the current economic recession in Nigeria with the theme: From Recession to Recovery and Growth Policy Option for the Nigerian Economy organised by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru, Plateau State.

“Our government must be frank to tell Nigerians that the nation is in deep recession and stop playing around the issue because the performance of any economy is seen as a mirror to judge the leadership.”

“The government therefore needs to tackle the issue head on.” he said

In his remark at the opening ceremony of the conference, a member of the House of Representatives, Hon Useni Kangiwa, said prosperity of oil is the prosperity of Nigeria, while its fall is also a fall of Nigeria adding that the cause of economic predicament in the country is as a result of downward trend in the oil and gas sector.

Hon Kangiwa, who said oil production in Nigeria has continued to slide to abysmal level, stated that the pathetic situation was compounded by militia’s activities in the Niger Delta, thereby leading to dwindling revenue from the sector.

He therefore, advocated for the diversification of the economy, adding that there are vital and veritable areas the country can exploits and focus on to rejuvenate the ailing economy.

“Nigeria had lost close to N2.1 trillion due to the economic recession in the country. One of the way out of this is diversification of the economy, our is a mono economy, we need to give agriculture a serious attention, to have more food for the country and curb vandalization of pipe lines especially in the Niger Delta areas “

In his speech, the governor of Plateau State, Barrister Simon Lalong represented by his deputy, Professor Sonni Tyoden said, the challenges the country is facing had created a Necessity for the development of the best solution for quick recovery and growth.

According to him, the government needs comprehensive policy option from several available, which will help to come out from recession quickly and help guarantee the quickest delivery, of dividend of democracy as promised during the campaign of APC.