A member of the House of Representatives, Rep. Abubakar Amuda-Kannike, has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his effort at addressing the country’s economic challenges.
He stated in Abuja on Monday that soon, the president’s effort would translate to better life for Nigerians.
Amuda-Kannike, who is the Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Works, said that the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government had the responsibility of addressing hunger, affordable housing, healthcare, among others, assuring that the targets would be achieved.
According to him, I pray we don’t get to the stage where hunger will rule our sense of judgment. Yes, there are economic challenges but things could be better.
He said “I don’t think that we have got to that level where we are ruled by the challenges of hunger. I would rather separate economic concerns from political concern.
“Every Nigerian wants food on his table, affordable housing, medical care and all that; these are perennial concerns that the leadership has the responsibility to address.
“And, I think the leadership of the nation under Buhari is trying to address these issues, but like you know, it is difficult to rebuild.’’
Amuda-Kannike said that though Nigeria was still an importing country because it had not got to the level of producing what it could eat and export, there was hope.
“Whether you agree or not, we are still an importing economy because we have not got to a level where we produce what we eat and export.
“This cannot happen in just four years. You can set all the structural apparatus in place but it will not crystallize in four years.’’
He recalled that there was a time in the country when the foreign exchange rate was unpredictably high against the Naira, and later, the dollar stumbled “until we got some stability’’.
According to the lawmaker, this means that whatever the problem was, we have identified it and we are solving it. So, the fact that it is being addressed is an achievement.
“I sponsored a motion on the floor of the House over a Lagos-based tomato paste company that was recruiting people to move to Ghana because it could not access foreign exchange to import raw materials.
“But, that has been taken care of because there is enough foreign exchange now for individuals and companies to access. We are already seeing an improvement in the economy.
“Prices of food are getting stable and no longer astronomical. So, the problem of managing the economy to suit a better standard of life for Nigerians is different from political considerations, ’’he said.
