The Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, SAN,
have said that the height of recession which Nigerians are facing today
has gone beyond prayers, citing the need for Nigerians to develop its
own plan capable of tackling the ongoing economic downturn in the
country.
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| Babatunde Fashola |
Fashola, who spoke while delivering a lecture on “Freedom from Fear,
Choices before the New Generation” to mark the 42nd convocation of the
University of Benin, Edo State, said that Nigerians must overcome their
fears and use their natural resources to create solutions and improve
their lives.
While addressing the graduating students, he said, “We will not pray our
way out of recession; we will plan and produce our way back to
prosperity and out of recession and you are the freshest, youngest and
most energetic workforce we will have to work with.
“You are the new batteries to power the engine of growth of our country.
Your choices must be clear, free from fear, not reckless but driven by
analytical thought, questioning and probing and ultimately determined by
convictions.”
According to him, young Nigerians must, like their counterparts in
developed countries, free their minds from fear, rather than depend
solely on spiritual answers to the problems facing the nation.
Also speaking at the event, the Emir of Kano, Muhammadu Sanusi II, said
that the right monetary, fiscal and structural policies would address
the biting recession.
According to him, Nigerians should not use God as an excuse for failure,
adding that one “must not attribute to God that which God has left for
us.”
The emir, who is the chancellor of the university, said, “If you want to
deal with a recession, there are things you have to do, which are set
out in economics. You (should) go and do them. Put in the right monetary
policy; put in the right fiscal policies; put in the right structural
policies and the economy will grow.”
