Jonathan tasked on power, rail transportation

Jonathan tasked on power, rail transportation
Hauwa Noroh Ali, Abuja

The President of African Business Roundtable, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, has advised President Goodluck Jonathan of Nigeria to give priority to the provision of electricity and rail transport in the improvement of the economy.

Alhaji Tukur gave the advice in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, while fielding questions from reporters when he featured on the Voice of Nigeria (VON) programme, “Global Guest’’.

Development fundamentals

He said that unstable power supply and ineffective transport system, especially the rail transport, were some of the major problems militating against the development of the country.

In his words: “It is so fundamental that a country like ours need sufficient and un-interrupted energy. I will say Mr. President, please give us sufficient energy.”

Tukur noted that the country could not achieve the desired development by abandoning the development of the rail system. ”We have no reason not to have a viable rail system. That is what China did to survive, that is what India is now doing to survive, and that was what America did to survive,’’ he said.

He also called on the government to provide predictable policies and an enabling environment for small and medium scale businesses to grow.

Budget balancing

Alhaji Tukur, who decried the low rate of budget implementation in the country, called on the Federal Government to ensure a balance between its recurrent and capital budget.

“Balancing the budget is not only that you don’t consume more than what you have, but by ensuring that your capital and recurrent expenditures are balanced to create a synergy to enable you to move forward,’’ he observed.

Tukur also stressed the need to give adequate room for the private sector to contribute its quota to the development of the economy.

NYSC scheme commendation

He faulted the calls by various Nigerians for the scraping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, saying the system should be strengthened and encouraged, as the positive contributions of the scheme far outweighed the negatives.

The Overall  Objective of Global Guest on VON  for this Quarter with the President of the African Business Roundtable, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur  was to give a greater insight on the “Nigerian Economy, Investment in Africa;  and the role of African Business Roundtable in African’s Development’’.

Williams