…says Nigeria will overcome economic shocks soon
A chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Akin Ricketts has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to insulate the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy from politics and the Civil Service, in order to checkmate corrupt tendencies.
Akin, a former two-term board chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), stated this in a chat with some newsmen at the weekend in Calabar.
While x-raying the current administration’s one year in office, he said that the government started on a good footing with some laudable and bold policies in the maritime sector, but expressed fear that some corrupt elements in the system may want to frustrate Mr President.
According to Ricketts, a one-time Commissioner for Information in Cross River State, the aim of creating the new ministry was apparently to dedicate a whole policy-making body specifically to an important aspect of our national life, and this must not be allowed to be truncated by few corrupt elements in the system.
“The most important positive decision made by Asiwaju’s government was in my view the creation of a dedicated ministry for Marine and Blue Economy. The aim apparently is to dedicate a whole policy-making body specifically to this important aspect of our national life.
“However, I would urge Mr President to take a step further to as much as is practically possible, insulate the Ministry from politics and the corrupting influence of the civil service. It should be professionalised so that it has a solid foundation in order to achieve the desired objectives.
“On walking the talk, I am aware through several sources that NPA is negotiating a deal worth $1 billion through a contractor to finance and rehabilitate the ports all over the country and not only Apapa and Tin Can ports. For the first time in over a decade, the Oshodi-Apapa expressway has been decongested, and it is now free from unnecessary hold-ups, safety and environmental hazards. This is commendable. This, among other initiatives, suggests to me that the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Administration literally is not only committed to her promises but indeed had been able to deliver within a very short space of time,” he partly stated while fielding questions from newsmen.
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On the current economic hiccups in Nigeria, he said all hope was not lost in Tinubu’s led administration, alluding that the ship of the nation remains in the hand of an experienced captain.
He said the current economic shocks in the country are not limited to Nigeria alone, adding that it is often a global challenge occasionally experienced by other nations.
The former Cross River central senatorial district aspirant in the 2023 general elections appealed to Nigerians to give the Tinubu-led administration a little time to turn around their economic fortunes for good.
“Well, the economic reality is such that a lot of adjustments needed to be done and no one promised they were going to be easy. One only hopes that the policies would be calibrated in such a manner that those aspects that make life unbearable for our people need to be reviewed, attuned and re-jigged. The government should place social safety nets that would soften the ground for Nigerians. However, you will agree with me that most economic policies all over the globe are presaged by certain types of discomforts.
“This is a two-way traffic. While the Government is doing its part, you expect the citizenry to also play its role. There is a need for us to patronise our local products, cultivate a disciplined attitude, do away with our greed, gluttony and be pragmatic in view of the realities on the ground. The Government needs to intensify its efforts at the macroeconomic level to ensure stability and substantial predictability that would enable planning. The Central Bank, you would agree with me, is trying on this score. I’m sure this would be sustained to enable us to have some comfort.
“So, I believe that the horizon is bright and our tomorrow would be much better than the temporary inconveniences of the moment. Having said this, I am not unaware of the plight of the citizenry,” Ricketts added.
