Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala, on Sunday night said that despite the various challenges
facing the country, the national economy will not collapse.
The minister, in a statement issued by
her Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu, said this
during a chat with some journalists.
In the statement, she said that the
administration of President Goodluck Jonathan had put in place solid
economic legacies for the incoming government, noting that allegations
that the economy was in ruins were untrue.
She said, “Despite the economic
challenges the country is facing, the Jonathan administration is leaving
some solid economic legacies for the incoming Buhari government. So,
the allegations that the economy is in ruins are absolutely untrue.
“The significant achievements in several
sectors attest to this. We cannot take away the fact that the Jonathan
administration, in spite of the challenges caused by 50 per cent decline
in the price of oil, has made a clear and measurable difference in many
important areas and anyone who says nothing has been done and nothing
is being left behind is being very unfair to facts and to history.
“Attempts to rewrite history will not
stand. You cannot just wipe the slate clean for political reasons. We
are not perfect but no one can take away the fact that we are leaving
some good legacies behind.”
The minister also advised politicians
and opinion leaders not to denigrate the economy because negative and
false comments on the economy could have negative impact the economy,
the exchange rate, the stock market and reduce investor confidence.
She said, “These negative and
unsubstantiated comments are not wise because they can lead to what we
do not want for the economy.
“There is nothing wrong with factual
assessments of the economy; I have always told Nigerians the truth about
the economy. But sweeping and negative statements are not in the
interest of the country.”
Source- Punch
No comments:
Post a Comment