By Mandy Tina
The chairman, Trade Union Congress (TUC) Rivers State, Comrade Ikechukwu Onyefuru, says the nation’s economy will only get better if the Federal Government employs the services of tested technocrats and economists to manage the economy.
Onyefuru who made this known to our correspondent in Port Harcourt, said government should stop using corrupt politicians to run the nation’s economy as it will only worsen the economic situation.
He explained that government cannot use political allies that grounded banks in the past, due to poor management skills and incompetence, to run the affairs of the nation.
“Use square pegs on square holes and round pegs on round holes. The government must employ tested technocrats and economists to run the economy and stop using corrupt politicians and political allies for same purpose.
“You cannot use political allies that grounded banks in the past due to poor management skills and incompetence to run a critical organisation like the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and expect a different result, very soon, our CBN may go under if nothing is done so fast”.
The TUC state chairman said that government must as a matter of urgency address issues that have contributed to the crumbling of the economy and caused hardship to the masses.
“The Federal Government should provide security across the country to enable farmers go back to farm and provide grants and soft loans to farmers to encourage mass food production. Improve power generation, transmission, and distribution to boost manufacturing of goods and efficient service provision across the country.
“Provide efficient transportation service across the country by creating enabling environment for private sector investors to thrive. Fix all dilapidated road infrastructures and woe private investors to participate in railway services in the country.
“Revive medium and small scale industries to boost the economy and improve production. Improve revenue generation by getting government officials and appointees including organisations to pay tax.
“Urgently fix the refineries and commence local production of refined product for local consumption on a short term and export for mid/long terms to boost forex earnings.
“Rehabilitate schools at all levels in the country and recruit qualified teachers to teach in the schools”.
Onyefuru further state that all government officials both at the executive and legislative arms of government must cut down cost of governance.
