Presidency Deceptive About Economy - Shehu Sani

Senator representing Kaduna central senate district, Shehu Sani has described as deceptive some of the actions taken by administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to address the current economic hardships Nigerians are going through.

Sani told Premium Times in an interview that the proper steps are
not being taken but the impression is given in the media that adequate moves are being made to cut costs for instance.

He noted for instance, that there is no way to prove that officials who vowed to take pay cuts really did so. He also noted that some of the cost-cutting measures the presidency has announced are at best superficial and really incapable of producing the needed effect.
“There is something which Nigerians should be conscious of: radical economic reform is very much needed, not cosmetic reform. Radical sacrifices are also needed. For example, when people are in office they tell you they are going to collect half salary or quarter salary. Who has any means of verifying whether that salary is full or half? There is none.

As long as there is a law there that says they can collect their full salary, that law has not been changed. So they broke no law at all. When they make utterances that they are going to collect quarter salaries and then it hits the headlines and now they get the fame as a result of such a peripheral sacrifice, it doesn’t make any sense. And again things like cancellation of handbags and souvenirs for conferences, how much would that save?

“When you look at the cost of the conference in a Five-Star hotel, you talk of rooms, the publicity, the honorarium given, how much will removing handbags and souvenir save. Some of these things to me look deceptive. That sacrifice should be made by those in the position of leadership – president, senators and governors – I share that.”

He added: “Patriotism and sacrifice should not be a one way thing. It should be two ways. And if there are those that need to make sacrifices and show level of patriotism, they are those in the position of power so as to demonstrate their commitment and the sincerity of their call.”

Naij