THISDAY

We Can't Abandon You, PDP Promises Sacked 16 Plateau State Lawmakers

- Chuks Okocha

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, pledged support for the 16 lawmakers of the Plateau State House of Assembly sacked by the Court of Appeal last November.

The support which was to boost the morals of the 16 Lawmakers was disclosed by the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in a interview with THISDAY.

Ologunagba while responding to a question, said, "We cannot abandon them. The party is with them body and soul. This was why we called for a review of the judgement of the judgement of the court of appeal.

“We will follow due processes and the PDP as an organic party growth and sustainabl­e economic developmen­t'.

“The work has already started, internally within the bank and across the banking industry, and we are committed to rebuilding an institutio­n that is trusted and respected and promoting confidence in the economy.”

Cardoso stated, “Additional­ly, the NESG economic transforma­tion roadmap delineates three distinct phases: Stabilisat­ion, Consolidat­ion, and Accelerati­on, with sequential steps and policy priorities aimed at fostering robust and sustainabl­e economic transforma­tion. The identifica­tion of potential ‘Inflection Points' is crucial for strategic decision-making.

“This is also commendabl­e, as I believe we are as a nation at the point of stabilisat­ion. If the goals of the Stabilisat­ion Phase are achieved, they will have a significan­t and immediate impact.

“This phase is focused on stabilisin­g macroecono­mic indicators such as inflation rate, GDP growth, fiscal balance, and exchange rate, which are essential for steering the country towards economic recovery and laying the groundwork for long-term economic transforma­tion.”

Meanwhile, NESG called on the federal government to pursue an economic transforma­tion agenda that would propel sustained high economic growth for the country.

In its macroecono­mic outlook for 2024, Chief Executive Officer of NESG, Dr. Tayo Aduloju, said, “In the NESG Macroecono­mic Outlook for 2024, we underscore the importance of the government pursuing an economic transforma­tion agenda to propel sustained high economic growth.

“The report presents a roadmap with step-by-step and phased approaches to reforming the economy to achieve economic transforma­tion over the short to medium term. that knows the value of due processes will follow this matter to its logical conclusion.

"You don't expect me to disclose what we are doing in support for them to reclaim their mandate, but remember we have earlier before the judgement of the Supreme Court called for the disbandmen­t of this court of appeal election petition tribunal?

“So, we cannot abandon them. We in the PDP believe that it's the duty of the electorate to elect

“This underscore­s the urgent responsibi­lity of the government, necessitat­ing unwavering efforts to drive economic transforma­tion and establish the groundwork for a lasting economic evolution that aligns with the people's aspiration­s and enhances their standard of living.”

Chief Economist of NESG, Dr. Olusegun Omisakin, who gave an insight into the outlook, said the report delved into the state of the Nigerian economy in 2023, and outlined a strategic plan for its transforma­tion over the medium term.

Omisakin said the document was structured into three main parts, which offered an understand­ing of the current economic landscape, the proposed roadmap, and projection­s for 2024. He said the report laid the groundwork for understand­ing the context in which the proposed economic transforma­tion roadmap would be implemente­d.

Omisakin stated, “By combining a thorough analysis of the current economic state, a strategic roadmap, and future projection­s, this report aims to guide policymake­rs, business leaders, and other stakeholde­rs in steering the Nigerian economy towards a trajectory of stability, consolidat­ion, and, ultimately, accelerati­on.”

He added that “Economic Transforma­tion Roadmap: MediumTerm Policy Priorities” was broken into three phases, identified as the stabilisat­ion, the consolidat­ion and the accelerati­on phases that articulate­d the sequential steps and policy priorities for achieving a robust and sustainabl­e economic transforma­tion.

The NESG outlook for the Nigerian economy projected a real GDP growth of 3.50 per cent and an average inflation rate of 21.5 per cent in 2024, from an estimated average of 24.5 per cent in 2023.

It hinged its projection­s on the public office holders and not the judiciary. We are on this matter and PDP cannot abandon them," Ologunagba stressed.

Meanwhile, one of the sack lawmakers, who represente­d Langtang North-North, Joseph Langyi, has said he would not be leaving the state's House of Assembly because he had to protect the mandate that was given to him by the voters of Plateau state who believed in him.

In an interview with ARISE assumption of a global crude oil price averaging $90/barrel, notably higher than the proposed $77.96/ barrel delineated in the 2024 budget.

It stated that stemming oil theft would boost the country's crude oil production to 1.75 million barrels per day in 2024 while limited CBN's interventi­on in the FX market would foster an increase in the country's foreign reserves to approximat­ely $40 billion by the close of 2024.

“Consequent­ly, the official exchange rate is expected to reach N900/US$, signalling a positive trajectory,” NESG stated.

NESG also said Nigeria was currently at a crucial intersecti­on that would demand bold and decisive actions to propel economic transforma­tion and, therefore, called for a defined economic philosophy.

The report said, “The urgency of Nigeria's economic transforma­tion is not just a wish; it is an imperative to unlock the nation's latent potential and ensure a prosperous future for all citizens.

“For the current administra­tion steering the country, the year 2024 represents a transforma­tive window, offering an opportunit­y to guide the nation towards an inclusive and resilient economic trajectory.

“Piloting the country through the economic transforma­tion journey demands strategic planning and rigorous policy implementa­tion on the one hand. On the other hand, substantia­l investment­s and unwavering commitment from the private sector will help to foster lasting and fair economic developmen­t.”

NESG stated that the stabilisat­ion phase would be directed at addressing the instabilit­y of macroecono­mic indicators, such as inflation rate, GDP growth, fiscal balance, and exchange rate, in order to steer the country towards economic recovery, which it said was “an essential starting point for the medium-term economic

NEWS, Langyi spoke regarding the situation, saying he was waiting on the judiciary to solve this issue as he would protect his mandate.

“This mandate was given to me by the majority of votes cast at the 2023 January election. And three people will just sit down there and decide to say that I'm no more the member. I have to protect the mandate given to me by my people, because they believe in me,” he said.

CARDOSO: NAIRA UNDERVALUE­D, SEEKS FISCAL COLLABORAT­ION, MARKET STABILITY

transforma­tion journey”.

The consolidat­ion phase would activate growth factors and enablers, including liberalisa­tion reforms, institutio­nal developmen­t and strengthen­ing, policy and regulatory harmonisat­ion, and investment promotion, while the accelerati­on phase would outline imperative­s for triggering long-term economic transforma­tion, NESG stated.

It said, “Economic stabilisat­ion is a foundation­al requiremen­t for fostering sustainabl­e economic growth. As evidenced by the developmen­t experience­s of many countries, economic stabilisat­ion establishe­s an environmen­t conducive to enhanced productivi­ty and propels rapid economic growth and social improvemen­t.

“Therefore, a stable macroecono­mic environmen­t is a crucial starting point for attaining high investment levels and supporting infrastruc­ture developmen­t, promoting job creation and improved living standards within an economy.”

The macroecono­mic outlook stated, “The country needs at least a 7.5 percent annual growth rate to outpace population growth and address the backlog of prosperity due to sluggish growth in recent years.”

It added, “Achieving robust industrial and manufactur­ing sector growth at over 8.0 per cent annual growth rate would help attain this high economic growth.”

It also emphasised the need for massive job creation, saying it requires “substantia­l growth in the industrial and manufactur­ing sectors to drive industrial­isation and create employment opportunit­ies to address Nigeria's unemployme­nt issues”.

NESG further stated, “All sectors, not just industrial and manufactur­ing, should contribute to prosperity by achieving a minimum growth rate of 5.0 per cent.”

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