From:Femi Oyelola, Kaduna
Nigeria is in a state of disarray because of the insecurity, socio Economic and other problems bedeviling the country, according to Second Republic Senator and Chairman, Board of Trustees (BOT), People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Jibril Walid.
He stated this while fielding questions yesterday from Reporters by the sideline of a wedding reception of the son of the National President of Textiles workers union, Comrade John Adaji.
Walid said, however good political party and a good government can solve this problem and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), is the saviour Nigerians are looking for.
He explained that traveling by road is now dangerous, traveling by train is also dangerous. And those who have the money travel by air. But the common man cannot travel by air. Anywhere you go today, you are not safe.
The PDP BoT Chairman added that industrial development in Nigeria is not going well because government policy is not consistent over the years.
“If government policy is consistent, Nigeria wouldn’t have been where it is today. Every policy needs to be consistent for five years running.
“But changing policy soon after implementation by the successive government is not good for the industrial development of the country. If Nigeria must be re-industrialized, government policy on manufacturing sector must be consistent to stand the test of time”. Walid said.
Similarly, the President of the National Union of Textile, Garment, and Tailoring Workers of Nigeria (NUTGTWN) Comrade Adaji, said Nigerians have been subjected to lamentations over comatose industries in the country, while the nation’s leaders showed little or no political Will to re-industrialize the country.
“In those days of our great leaders like Ahmadu Bello, Nnamdi Azikiwe, and Obafemi Awolowo, among others, there was a competition over industrialisation of the North, the West, and the Eastern zones. But today we are just into lamentations over comatose industries in the country.
“In the 70s and 80s when the population of Nigeria was much less than what we have now, there were several industries everywhere in the country. But today we are over 200 million people, we cannot boast of functional industries that should triple that of the early 70s.
“It is lamentation because every successive government proved wrong in improving the situation. There was no policy consistent to transform the manufacturing sector.
“The implication of these comatose industries is the insecurity we are witnessing today because one thing leads to another. It has also led to massive youths unemployment.
“One of the solutions to this ugly situation is that our leaders should develop political Will to solve these socio-economic problems. We have the manpower and the population to transform the manufacturing sector”.
