Nigeria is currently going through an economic downturn die to the collapse in global oil process which have fallen to about $40 a barrel from over $100 a barrel about a year ago. This has not only had a huge impact on government revenue but has also had a knock-on effect in other areas, leading to the growth of salary arrears, higher prices and led the economy into recession.
Speaking yesterday at Ile-Ife at the Health Caravan and Award ceremony for the Ooni of Ife Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, who was conferred with the Royal Ambassador for Hepatitis Advocacy in Nigeria by the Seham Health Care Foundation, General Gowon said the situation was dire. He urged Nigerians to cooperate with the Buhari administration, saying that the federal government was doing everything within its reach to resolve the economic challenges facing the nation.
General Gowon said: “Let the current authority find a way out of the current economic crisis. The minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, has been telling us what they have been doing to get the economy strong again and she said all will be well by September, so let’s wait till then.
“I have left government for a long time, so I may not really know what the problem is but the current administration should do whatever they can to solve to economic challenges. They should find a way to restore confidence in the citizens and the nation at large by fixing the economy.”
On the controversial budget padding issue, General Gowon said such never occurred during his administration. He, however, urged the government not to allow anyone found guilty of budget padding to go scot free to serve as deterrent to others.
General Gowon added: “We didn’t do it during my time as we had Chief Obafemi Awolowo in charge of our finance and he taught us to survive without borrowing. Such budget padding should stop."
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