Says no to new taxes
Tells govt to revisit privitisation in the power sector
Emmanuel Ukudolo l Thursday, March 28, 2019
ABUJA, Nigeria – National Leader of the All Progressive Congress(APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on Federal Government of Nigeria to take a look at animal husbandry, which he described as an economic opportunity to create wealth.
Tinubu who spoke at the 11th colloquium to mark his 67th birthday in Abuja, said animal husbandary is not an enemy to farmers.
“Animal husbandary is not an enermy to farmers. If we think deep, we can use it for prosperity for our people, animal husbandry is an econmic opportunity not adversity”, he said.
At least, 3,641 lives have been lost to farmers and herdsmen clashes in Nigeria, says Amnesty International due to failure on to adopt animal husbandry as against pastoral farming.
He called on government to expand the anchor borrowers programe adding that mortgage is needed. Besides, he called for the need to put mechanised farming on the front burner. “Put mechanised farming in the front burner, invest in silos and food preservation”, he advised.
Asiwaju charged the President Muhammadu Buhari/ Professor Yemi Osinbajo administration to enact policies that encourage industrialisation and modernisation but that new taxes should not be introduced for now but to widen the tax net.
According to him, “our economy must be reengineered for the welfare of the people. He canvaised for a en economy that is focused on the poor, which he tagged Laisse poor economy. He advised government to focus on how to transform our god given materials into raw materials that can be produced locally as a result of the multiplier effects on jobs and others.
Speaking on infrastructure, he said the most important item remains power. “No success without power, you cannot industrilise without power”, he called on government to improve power supply and urged government to pursue its policy to improve it by more than 50 percent generation and trasmission in the next 4 years.
He said the PDP shared out generation and distribution in the power sector, leaving transmission in tarters, without evaluating its impact on privitisation.
“Let’s revisit priviatisation, put experts together, it is not a birthday cake. We must put an end to the policy of billing people without consumption, charge people for the power they consume”, he said.
He equally called for serious reform in the gas sector. “Let’s find a way to use gas and not flare them to industrialise Nigeria.Flaring is poison to our families”, he said and that government must empower Nigerians to live a life that is free from penury.
