Engage experts to tackle economic challenges, Rep tells Buhari

Peter Dada, Akure

A member of the House of Representatives, Oluwole Oke, has urged the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to engage the services of experts to deal with the nation’s current economic situation.

The Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency of Osun State asked the President to end his borrowing streak and look inwards on how to revamp the economy.

He stated this in his remarks at the Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Ikeji Arakeji, Osun State during the conferment of an honorary degree on him by the university.

Oke, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, said, “The challenge before this country is because of economy policies somersault and I want to enjoin the government of President Buhari to engage a seasoned economist in his government because I have not seen a single economist in this government and that is why we continue to have problem bordering on revenue leakages, the revenue is there, but we continue borrowing.

“There is nothing bad in borrowing but when you borrow, you should do something with the money, something tangible like capital projects that will repay borrowed money but not borrowing money to pay salaries of workers, not borrowing money for going to seminars.

“There are some laws that the Federal Government and parliament must work on, we need to look at our tax principles, the operation of oil and gas-rich zones, the operation of Nigeria Export Promotion in the desert and know what is happening there, because these foreign companies and some locals are exploiting these laws because they are open-ended to avoid and evade tax.”

PUNCH