Conscience Nigeria, a Civil Society Organisation (CSO), said the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, had rekindled Nigerians’ hope in the administration of the All Progressives Congress(APC).
Executive Director of the organisation, Mr Tosin Adeyanju, said Osinbajo achieved this in his Democracy Day broadcast to the nation on Monday.
Adeyanju in Abuja that the speech awakened positive consciousness of bright future in most Nigerians, who had lost hope in the administration and country.
“The country was full of so much hopelessness and disappointment but the acting president has reawakened our hope.
“In the about two years left for this administration the acting president has been able to rekindle hope and for us not to lose faith in APC administration,’’ Adeyanju said.
He said that the administration recorded some achievements in the areas of fighting insecurity and recovery of loots.
“If I must score the administration, they have done well on the issue of insecurity that he talked about but in the area of fight against corruption, it has been a media war.
“We have not seen any politically exposed person that has been properly prosecuted except the former governor of Adamawa.’’
Adeyanju added that the school feeding programme had been a source of concern, especially in this period of recession, when the cost of food had gone up.
According to him, government’s priority at this moment should not be on school feeding but on how to recover the economy, which has been a challenge to the country.
“I believe strongly that there is need for the acting president to rejig the economic team and put more money in productive sectors, not by putting more money in the school feeding programme.
“Such money should be invested in areas that will stimulate the economy and create jobs so that families can feed their children.
“The acting president should find a way of re-energizing the economy so that as he signs the budget, the economy can pick up because the tension out there is high,’’ he said.
The CSO director also advised the acting president to ensure that funds saved in the Sovereign Wealth Fund and Excess Crude Account translated into economic recovery and boom.
He said that the government was also doing well trying to recover stolen funds, but advised that culprits should be brought to book through proper prosecution.
Adeyanju also advised the acting president to immediately sign the 2017 budget to kick-start economic development of the country.
“Our appeal is also that Osinbajo should become more assertive and take charge of the country’s destiny because the cabals will continue to struggle power with him,’’ he added.