Fides Media Living the Faith
By Jude Atupulazi
The candidate of the Social Democratiic Party, SDP, for Awka North and South, Federal Constituency, Anambra State, in the last general elections, Prince Chinedu Ekwunife, has lambasted the Federal Government of Nigeria over the N5b set aside for palliative measures to each of the 36 governors of Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, pointing out that the brand of democracy practiced in the country has no flavour.
Prince Ekwunife made this position known at a Press Conference held in Awka recently where he noted that the ‘Gargantuan sum of money which amounted to N230 billion was a huge drain from the coffers of Nigeria’.
Ekwunife who will be burying his mother on the 27th of October, said the money would end up being ploughed into consumption, rather than into profitable ventures like investments; a situation, he regretted, would not ameliorate economic predicament of Nigeria.
Hon. Price Ekwunife therefore advised President Bola Tinubu to direct the huge money into renovations, refurbishment, re-activation, resuscitation of the four moribund oil refineries located in Port Harcourt, Warri, Kaduna and Lagos for maximum productivity. He asserted that if the huge sum of money was invested in lucrative productive ventures like oil refinery, the problem of removal of petroleum subsidy would be solved.
According to him, the oil refineries would produce quality and enough quantity of fuel in Nigeria and sell at competitive and affordable prices within the reach of all consumers.
‘In such circumstance, millions of jobs will be created, both direct and indirect, for youths and trillions of Naira will be generated to create wealth, conserve foreign exchange and promote the Naira to compete favorably with foreign currencies.
Hon Prince Ekwunife also condemned the appointment of a 63-year old man as Minister of Youth, while vibrant youths who were academically qualified and were competent to perform sensitive duties were left behind to dissipate their energy and intelligence negatively.
He posited that a youth would have been better positioned to be the Minister of Youth because, according to him, he who wore the shoes knew where it pinched.