A coalition of over 60 Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, in Nigeria, yesterday, decried what they termed “steady and continuous decline of the Nigerian economy” under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The groups, at a strategy meeting they held in Abuja yesterday under the aegis of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, said there was urgent need for President Buhari to evolve a sustainable economic plan that will attract foreign investors into the country.
The leader of the coalition and Executive Director of Policy and Legal Advocacy Center, PLAC, Mr. Clement Nwankwo, in his opening remarks, said the “dwindling economic fortunes of Nigeria” could be a function of the inability of President Buhari to appoint his Ministers six months after he assumed office.
He said: “The major challenge we are currently facing is that we cannot see the urgency of ?this administration to improve the situation. It was unfortunate that after the six months that it took to come up with list of proposed Ministers, those we saw are those that have always been around the hood.
“Why it took so long to forward their names to the National Assembly is quite a puzzle to us.
“Why Ministers who have been cleared have not been sworn in is also a puzzle to us. We are almost in the first week of November. The laws are clear that government should have submitted its budget projections for 2016 by now.
“We would have thought that Ministers would have been around to help finalise budget for presentation to the National Assembly.
“Everyday we hear on social media that some people have returned money they stole from the treasury. The government should do well by telling us who they are, the amount returned and since the money is unanticipated, we should be told what it will be used for.
“So much information and misinformation is a major worry for us. We are desperately concerned to see the government begin to function”.
Nwankwo also faulted the current foreign exchange regime operating in the country, saying, “person who is attune with modern day economics cannot recommend such”.
