The Minister
of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, said on Monday that President
Muhammadu Buhari had fulfilled the promises he made to Nigerians while running
for the presidency in 2015.
Mr. Onu said
key promises of the All Progressives Congress, APC, as contained in its
campaign manifesto had been released within the last two years, and a lot more
will still be done.
“The APC is
delivering on its manifesto. The President, during his campaign, campaigned on
the basis of what the manifesto has said, and as the President, he has
delivered.
“He is
securing the nation, he has done very well in the North-East, he has brought
rule of law.
“Today,
people think twice before they can do anything that will undermine the best
interest of the nation and he is working very hard. We are all supporting him
to rebuild our economy,” the Vanguard quoted Mr. Onu as saying at a public
lecture in Abuja.
The comments
came a week after the National Bureau of Statistics disclosed that the Nigerian
economy, which has been in recession since last August, contracted by about 1.5
per cent in 2016.
The NBS
described 2016, which was Mr. Buhari’s first full year in office, as a
“difficult” one for Nigeria, adding that the activities of economic saboteurs
had been on the increase.
“This
contraction reflects a difficult year for Nigeria, which included weaker
inflation-induced consumption demand, an increase in pipeline vandalism,
significantly reduced foreign reserves and a concomitantly weaker currency, and
problems in the energy sector such as fuel shortages and lower electricity
generation,” the February 28 report said.
In its 2016
second quarter report, the NBS said portfolio investment in Nigeria declined to
an estimated $245.3 million, representing a 9.5 per cent from $271.0 million in
quarter one.
This was
against the $2.81 billion in second quarter of 2015.
The Bureau
said 4,580,602 people lost their jobs between May 29, 2015, when Mr. Buhari
took office, and August 31, 2016.
Source:
Premium Times
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