I’m happy Nigeria is broke, says DG NOA

John Alechenu

The Director General of the National Orientation Agency, Mr. Garba Abari, has expressed delight that Nigerians have been left with no option but to look inwards because of the economic recession.

Abari stated this in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, in Abuja, on Friday.

He explained that the fall in oil prices and the disappearance of what he referred to as “free money” will engender a home-grown response to the nation’s economic problems.

According to him, Nigeria’s economic problem was not peculiar to it because other oil producing nations like Venezuela were also taking a hit but that Nigeria under the Buhari-led administration was handling it better.

Abari said, “Happily, the country is broke, if we had lived a life of falsehood always guided by our crass appetite for consumption and lack of productivity because there was free money, now we are being confronted with the reality.

“It is a global economic challenge and every country is being affected one way or another. Venezuela is an oil producing country like Nigeria; perhaps in terms of production quota in OPEC, it may even be producing higher than Nigeria. It is not even as populous as Nigeria is and you have seen what has become of it.

“Oil that used to be the source of money is no longer bringing in the money. We are beginning to show a sign that we are positively responding to the reality.”

He explained that the contribution of agriculture to the GDP was negligible in the last few years but that it had improved considerably under the current administration because of the proactive measures, so far taken.

Commenting on the prevalence of hate speech by Nigerians on social media, the DG said, “We have all been victims of what I can call social media terrorism.

“It is quite worrisome the amount of hate especially the use of foul language. It tells you how much of our values we have lost that we simply cannot bring out issues and debate them and bring out the virtues in them.”

The NOA he said was partnering with sister agencies of government and civil society to reorient Nigerians towards making Nigeria better.



PUNCH