Former Abia State Governor and business mogul, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, has expressed support for President Muhammadu Buhari’s war against corruption and suggested relevant steps to address the nation’s economic woes. Kalu, in a letter to the president, lamented the dwindling fortunes of the nation’s economy.
He said the last 10 months have been a most difficult period for Nigerians, particularly the unemployed and those at the bottom of the economic ladder, whom he noted constitute the highest percentage of the nation’s population.
The letter reads in part: “Your Excellency, the last 10 months have been a most difficult period for all Nigerians, especially the unemployed and those at the bottom of the economic ladder.
“Our people were not oblivious of the challenges that lay ahead of you and the time it would take to get Nigeria to that Promised Land.
“Indeed, they were willing to be patient as long as that reassurance of a clear sense of direction, sacrifice and integrity of purpose, justice and equity remained the guiding principle of your leadership; the signposts along new direction that you proposed to Nigerians.”
Kalu insists that the president’s integrity is still undoubted, but queried the current strategies and approaches to containing what he described as the uncertainty in the land.
“Some have proposed the sale of performing national assets and national interests. I tend to differ with this thinking.
“While I agree we should not throw good money at a hard situation, we can agree that our current economic challenge has nothing to do with an over-bloated balance sheet, where we must offload assets.
“It has everything to do with low productivity across practically every sector of our economy, brought about by a neglect of the economy and delayed action. I believe in big businesses and small government.
“Our people applaud your fight against corruption, but they also want an economy that will allow them to restore their human dignity as men and provider of their families. “Mr. President, the time is now to change course.
“The capital to bridge the deficit in our budget, so that government can build infrastructure and meet her social welfare responsibilities to the people can be sourced from the IMF: just like we have done with the ADB.”
