The emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi 11 has cried out over increasing levels of poverty in Nigeria even as he noted that the Buhari administration’s economic policies as unfavourable and threatening to drive the nation into bankruptcy.
Sanusi pointed at some of the unfavourable economic policies to include subsidizing petroleum products, electricity tariffs and using about 70 percent of the country’s revenue to service debt.
The former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), made the disclosure at the 3rd National Treasury Workshop organized by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation at Coronation Hall, Government House, Kano.
He advised Buhari to cancel subsidy in petroleum subsidy and electricity tariffs if the economy must stabilize.
His words, “The country is Bankrupt and we are heading to bankruptcy. What happened is that the Federal Government do pay petroleum subsidy, pay electricity tariff subsidy, and if there is rise in interest rates, Federal Government pays.
“What is more life-threatening than subsidy that we have to sacrifice education, health sector and infrastructure for us to have cheap petroleum.
“If truly President Buhari is fighting poverty, he should remove the risk on the national financial sector and stop the subsidy regime which is fraudulent.”
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“Since I have decided to come here, you have to accept what I have said here. And please, if you do not want to hear the truth, never invite me.
“So let us talk about the state of public finance in Nigeria. We have a number of very difficult decisions that we must make, and we should face the reality.
“His Excellency, the President said in his inaugural speech that his government would like to lift 100 million people out of poverty, it was a speech that was well received not only in this country, but world-wide.
“The number of people living with poverty in Nigeria is frightening. By 2050, 85 percent of those living in extreme poverty in the world will be from the African continent. And Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo will take the lead.
“Two days ago, I read that the percentage of government revenue going to debt services has risen to 70 percent.
”These numbers are not lying. They are public numbers. I read them in the newspapers. When you are spending 70 percent of your revenue on debt services, then you are managing 30 percent.
“And then, you continue subsidizing petroleum products; and spending N1.5 trillion per annum on petroleum subsidy! And then we are subsidizing electricity tariff.
“And maybe, you have to borrow from the capital market or the Central Bank of Nigeria to service the shortfall in the electricity tariff, where is the money to pay salaries, where is the money for education, where are other government projects.
END.
