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We’re going to grow economy, create jobs, says Buhari

Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for responding to my invitation.
In the course of asking Governor Fashola to set up this meeting, two things occurred to me.

The first is that I told him that I meant business by getting Nigeria’s economy back on its feet.
This is why the caption of this meeting is: “GMB Means Business.”
Number two, he told me that he meets with you every six months to listen to your problems and provide solutions within the following six months.
This is a wonderful idea because Government can not know in detail business developments as they occur because it is too immersed in various other aspects of Government.
A periodic and regular series of meetings is something I will encourage if you elect me as your next President so that our Government can hear from you at firsthand what we should or should not do to advance business interests.
This will be our approach to growing the economy, creating jobs and restoring the dignity of labour among Nigerians.
I will however start by sharing with you, a summary of the economic plans highlighted in our manifesto.
As practical as it is possible to do so, our policies for implementing our commitments will be governed by the highest consideration of how they create jobs.
Equipping and resourcing our security personnel, for example, will not be limited to provision of arms alone, but uniforms, boots and accoutrements, are enormous opportunities for textile production, garment making and shoe-making.
Power supply is the minimum that we can seriously commit to in order to quickly galvanize the economy back to productivity.
We agree with the privatization of the power utilities but we believe it must go further to transmission.
After the signing and handing-over ceremonies of the power assets the real work of producing, transmitting and distributing power is really just beginning.
The reason why the success seems elusive is that apart from the signing ceremony and handing over of the power assets, the hard work to connect the various parts of the power chain, supply gas, install transformers, complete substations has not been done.
Our studies show that we will require no less than 200,000 trained personnel to support the initiative to provide power and light up Nigeria.
Apart from the inherent direct employment that this will give, the reduction in cost of production, the savings from self-generation by Nigerians, who currently spend a lot of their income on purchase of diesel and petrol to generate their own electricity, will reduce the burden on their disposable income.
These savings to Nigerians from reliable electricity will help the average Nigerian spend their money on other basic necessities of life and reduce poverty.
There is already an initiative to build a refinery in Lagos. Our Government will fully support this initiative because a local refinery means many things such as:-
Jobs locally at a Nigerian refinery instead of refineries abroad;
Local fuel supply and National security;
Reduced importation, less demand for foreign exchange and strengthening of the Naira
Other areas of infrastructure investment is roads and highway construction from one end of Nigeria to the other.
We will concentrate on the roads and highways that link up Nigerian states, while state Governments will be expected to connect their states to these highways by building the last mile connections.
Road construction alone will unlock a value chain of opportunities in the built industry for construction companies, builders, engineers, architects, quarry operators, cement and iron rod production and supply.
The successful opening up of Nigeria by the construction of new roads and highways will revive road transportation, truck manufacture, tyre manufacture, engine oil, brake pad production on one hand.
It will also create a demand for jobs for mechanics, drivers and those engaged in transport support business.

*Part of the speech delivered by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari at the parley he held with Organized Private Sector

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Don’t use security excuses to scuttle presidential, other polls, US warns Jonathan

By Our Reporter with agency report

Washington has expressed suspicion of a subterranean move by the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to use security alibi to scuttle the proposed general election in the country.

The Secretary of State, John Kerry, said that the President Barack Obama government was peeved by the government’s decision to shift the February 14 presidential poll and other elections earlier scheduled.

Kerry had paid visit to Nigeria last month, and meet Jonathan, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and his challenger, All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen. Muhammadu Buhari, where he expressed the readiness of the US to stand by the country in its electoral process.

The secretary of state expressed the readiness of Obama administration to support Nigeria in its democratic process, but cautioned against tampering with the elections.

“The United States is deeply disappointed by the decision to postpone Nigeria’s presidential election, which had been scheduled for February 14,” Kerry said in a press statement entitled “Postponement of Elections in Nigeria” released at the weekend on the official website of the US Department of State.

The envoy added that interference with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would be unacceptable to the US government.

Said Kerry:“Political interference with the Independent National Electoral Commission is unacceptable, and it is critical that the government not use security concerns as a pretext for impeding the democratic process.”

“The international community will be watching closely as the Nigerian government prepares for elections on the newly scheduled dates. The United States underscores the importance of ensuring that there are no further delays,” he added.

According to him, he stood by his earlier declaration that the US government would stand by Nigeria in ensuring free and credible election.

“As I reaffirmed when I visited Lagos last month, we support a free, transparent, and credible electoral process in Nigeria and renew our calls on all candidates, their supporters, and Nigerian citizens to maintain calm and reject election-related violence,” said Kerry.