Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has
called on Nigerians to stop squandering the nation’s commonwealth and be
prepared to make sacrifices in 2016.
Obasanjo, in his Christmas message after
a church service on Friday, admitted that the country’s resources had
been squandered by its leaders in the past, saying that it was time for
everyone to adjust to the reality of the current economic gloom.
According to a report by The Cable,
the former President said, “We have had downs in our economy before, we
have risen up again. We have made money; we have squandered it. If we
are sensible at all, there must be an end to squandering.”
Obasanjo, who noted that the President
Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had warned Nigerians about the poor
economic situation in the country, however, called on the government to
do more by leading by example.
He said, “I still believe that there are
still areas of government that are not serious enough to make us feel
that what is being said is something that would concern all of us. It
would be very difficult for the people of this country to see that
certain arms of government are living in luxury, while the government is
asking the ordinary people to continue to make sacrifice.
“I believe that all arms of governments
and the private sector should realise that if we are going to shorten
the time of this hardship, if we are going to have any cushioning
effects for the ordinary people, then there would have to be sacrifices
made by those who have to make more sacrifice.”
The Central Bank of Nigeria’s monetary
policy committee had hinted at a period of recession in 2016, while the
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had said there would be a change
in the pump price of petrol.
The National Electricity Regulation
Commission had also said Nigerians would have to pay more for
electricity from February 2016. The president had given an assurance
that over time, all these would get better for the good of “ordinary
Nigerians.”
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