Tom Garba, Yola
A Northern group, Arewa New Agenda (ANA) has raised the alarm that US, China and other countries with much stronger economic policies have taken over Nigeria’s economy.
ANA made the revelation through an expert on Solid mineral resources, Mr John J Y Pakka in Abuja during a follow on conference tackling poverty in Northern Nigeria.
ANA whose mandate is one Arewa, one Vision and one Agenda in a theme Moving Households from vulnerability to prosperity, a dialogue session where Pakka was opportune to present a paper on ending poverty through productivity inclusion.
Pakka during his presentation said the reality of Nigeria current economy is that Nigerians are living in a stolen economy and the country is only existing by the mere geographical location of the name.
Pakka during the ANA event where high profiled Personalities from the Northern region to include Alhaji Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, CFR, former secretary to the Government of the Federation who was the distinguished Chairman of the occasion, Former Governor of Bauchi, Isa Yugudu, former Governor of Zamfara, Ahmed Sani (Yeriman Bukura), former Majority Leader, Senator Jonathan Zwingina.The Convener, Distinguished Senator Ahmad Abubakar Moallayidi, Sheikh Khalid Nurudeen, the Methodists Bishop of Sokoto, Rt Dr Ishaya Kunama and many attended the event which Pakka revealed the truth State of Nigerian mineral resources as abandoned sector laying unharnessed.
According to Pakka that who feeds you owns you. He worried that China, US are providers of our shelter, education, Health and other basic needs of living.
The Adamawa born mineral resources expert stressed that everything depend on importation will lead to a collapse economy.
“We are living in a stolen economy, our mobility, infrastructure, clothes, technology, Agriculture are all foreign based. The over two hundreds million Nigerians depends on importation. So Our economy is not in Nigeria, it’s somewhere elsewhere.” He said
He said that the Smart economy of the world like China have taken seventy percent of Nigerians, according to him Chinese government have smartly stolen Nigerian’s economy with impunity because they provide virtually all the country needs to survive.
“Because they provide us what we survive on, over two hundred million Nigerians are living in China and virtually all of us are living outside Nigeria. Whoever you are, business Man or civil servant you are a foreigner because you are feeding on someone’s economy.
“AIt’s only our geographical location that is Nigeria. I’m telling you the reality of our economy that whatever you think human beings need are imported, it’s the crux of the issue that’s killing our economy and bringing down our naira value to a mere tissue paper.” He said
Pakka however said that if the government should tilt towards having a proactive, revitalize and contemporary bills Nigeria will have a revive economy and in six months the wide gap between dollar and naira will collapsed.
He called on the federal government to use the National Assembly to create bills that are contemporary in nature with direct effects to the common Man the margin between dollar and naira will be history.
Pakka also reiterated that if Government should understand and work on the mapping of Nigeria where fallow land is in abundance and bring in clusters productivity through corporate model, bring investors Nigeria will become an enterprise nation with a self reliance economy.
“If Nigeria government will shift their thinking, activate solid mineral value change, and secure Agricultural value change, put them on a platform that is exportable. Bring in technology for finishing. Demand on dollar will automatically fall. Because When you are not producing value you are a dependent that will certainly crippled down the economy of a nation.
“Anything you demand high has prospect of good value. Anything you demand low has less value. By the time what you need is produce locally we don’t need a dollar. It’s unfortunate Nigeria of today is having a high demand of dollar than a naira. It’s the propeller of our economy Crisis.” He said
