Govt mulls economy, to check reliance on oil

[TGD]

 PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan at the  weekend lamented Nigeria's over-dependence on crude oil despite the abundance of other natural resources including solid minerals, vowing that his administration would insulate it from the vicissitudes of the petroleum market.            .

Speaking at the opening of the 22nd Enugu International Trade Fair taking place at the permanent site complex of the fair in the

state capital, Jonathan assured that his administration was

now poised to diversify the nation's economic base from crude  oil export in order to stabilize the economy.

Besides, confident of victory at the April 9 presidential election, Jonathan has constituted a team of experts who have been mandated to marshal out the action plan for the fulfilment of his promise of rapid national development in the post-election period.

Presidential spokesman, Ima Niboro, said the constitution of the team was because of "the urgency of some of the critical challenges before the nation."

And Jonathan, in Abuja during a church service flagging off the commencement of the plenary session of the Catholic Bishop Conference at Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral yesterday said: "By Gods grace I know am going to win and when I win I will push this country to the next level, as for the next four years I am set to push the country in the right direction".

He regretted that for over 30 years, Nigeria had been cuddling only one product, (crude petroleum) for its export despite her potential to produce and export wide range of products and services including solid minerals.

He said: "Our focus as a nation should be geared towards the

development of a new agenda, aimed at promoting sustainable growth and development in the various sectors of the economy.

"On our part, this administration will continue to ensure a conducive atmosphere for investments to thrive, by providing necessary infrastructure and transparent regulatory framework".

He called on the organised private sector to join hands with the

Federal Government to actualise its set objectives.

"This administration is determined to tackle the challenge posed by poor infrastructure especially, energy, power and transport.

"We intend to use the public-private sector partnership (PPP)

initiative to drive growth and development of the Nigerian economy," he disclosed.

Jonathan, who was represented by the permanent secretary,

Federal Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Dr. Abubakar    Mohammed explained that under the partnership arrangement, the private sector "is free to participate in the development process either alone, or in partnership with government."

He disclosed that the essence of the partnership was to bridge the

wide gap between the demand for and supply of infrastructure, increase efficiency through competition, increase responsiveness as well as to mobilise private resources for the development of

infrastructure which he said was hitherto solely provided by

government.

"Accelerated economic growth, sustained development and achievement of significant improvement in the living conditions of our citizens, are goals this administration is irrevocably committed to. I am glad to inform you that this administration is committed to generating 10,000 megawatts of electricity by the end of 2011".

"The ongoing rehabilitation of the various hydro and thermal power stations, the building of 19 transmission lines and independent power plant projects (IPPs) across the country, he continued, "is a clear demonstration of the present administration's seriousness to put an end to the perennial problem of epileptic power supply in the country", he stated.

The President of Enugu Chamber of Commerce Industry, Mines

And Agriculture (ECCIMA), Okechukwu Nwadinobi, explained that the theme of this year's fair which is "Diversification of our Nation's Economy For Sustainable Development" was chosen to address the need for a concerted effort through effective partnership between the public and private sectors as key to the sustainable growth and development of the national economy. Niboro said the President has pledged to give immediate attention to the speedy resolution of the challenges "if his mandate is renewed as expected in April."

The areas of planned speedy implementation and tagged as "high priority sector" include "a massive national public works programme" in the 36 states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory for the provision of essential new national infrastructure, power supply, education, health, the Niger Delta, agriculture and water resources.

Altogether, Niboro noted a total of N400 billion has been set aside for these areas in the 2011 budget.

According to him, "away from the hustle and bustle of the ongoing campaigns for the 2011 presidential elections which he is widely expected to win, a team of experts working for President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has started drawing up an action plan for the fulfilment of his promise of rapid national development in the post-election period.

"Experts from within and outside the administration have been charged with the task of producing a strategic plan for the speedy implementation of vital projects in the high priority sectors of public infrastructure, power supply, education, health, the Niger Delta, agriculture and water resources for which about N400 Billion has been set aside in the 2011 budget.

"The team is also expected to urgently evolve an action plan for the efficient and effective implementation of President Jonathan's N50 billion national job creation scheme to create thousands of new jobs for the country's unemployed youth.

"The plans and strategies being worked out by the team are intended to result in a massive national public works programme in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for the provision of essential new national infrastructure and the renovation, rehabilitation and upgrading of existing public utilities, schools, medical facilities and roads.

"The administration's priority areas to include massive road intervention projects, both at construction and rehabilitation levels, for which N125 Billion has been provided in the 2011 National Budget, other transportation projects for which N48. 9 Billion was provided, as well as projects in the education sector for which N35.08 Billion was provided.

"Other priority sectors, according to Niboro, include Agriculture and Water Resources which have N67.9 billion for capital projects in the 2011 budget, the Ministry for Niger Delta Affairs which has N53.4 billion for capital projects, Aviation which has N20.7 billion and health which has N33.27 billion.

"The Jonathan administration is coming up with strategies for fast-tracking work on Presidential Initiative Projects such as the dualisation of the Abuja-Lokoja Highway, the Kano-Maiduguri Road , the Lagos-Ota Road, the construction of the 2nd Niger Bridge at Onitsha/Asaba, as well as the Sagamu-Benin Highway.

"The administration is also actively exploring and developing fresh sources of additional funding for very high priority developmental projects which it may not be currently possible to fund adequately from the regular national budget.

"The ongoing consultations and planning are expected to under-pin the new five-year national development plan which President Jonathan has been speaking of on the campaign trail."

Reiterating his commitment to conduct a free and fair election at the church service, Jonathan maintained that he would not allow his power of incumbency to interfere in his assurance to conduct free and fair polls in April.

According to him: "I can only do my best by issuing out directives and ensuring they are carried out as I can only be in one place at a time, but until we are able to conduct a free and fair election, we cannot gain any respect from the International community.

Stressing the importance of the Nigerian Police in the country, the President noted that he would always take their advice seriously.

The President however called on the religious leaders to always call them to order when need be, urging them to continue in their prayer for the nation.

The Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Bishop John Onaiyekan, in a message called on the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) at all level to be free, fair and just umpires of the electoral process.

He said "it is the duty of the state to ensure that peace takes place even with an incumbent candidate, it would be possible to ensure a level plain field for all contestants. This can be done, as it happens in many developed countries if the rules of the game are respected by everyone".

Onaiyekan, however, called on Nigerians to rise up and reject evil, adding that it was not enough to continue grumbling that things are not going well, their was need to stand up and ensure that every vote count in the coming election.

The clergy added that Nigeria may not likely be offered credible election on a platter of gold, but those who truly want it must arise to truly make it work, adding that their was need for the Judiciary to carry out their duty without fear or favour.

However, in a joint pastoral letter issued at the end of the second plenary meeting of the Catholic Bishop Conference in 2011 and read by the President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria (CBCN), Revd. Alaba Job, stressed the need to address crisis in the Niger Delta Region, and the consistent religious and ethnic clashes in the northern part of the country.

The conference, which maintained that the country still had a long way to go as an authentic nationhood, stated that the political independence was not a goal but a means for achieving the goal.

They said "the goal before us is building a nation in which the dignity of every Nigerian, as a human being and as a citizen, is respected, defended, and promoted, adding that with the words of the national anthem, the goal is 'one nation bound in freedom and unity."



Source: Govt mulls economy, to check reliance on oil