Former
Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that despite the economic challenges the
country faced during the last administration, they left some solid
economic legacies for the Buhari led administration.
Debunking
claims that the economy was in shambles before the new administration
took off, as claimed by President Muhammadu Buhari she said, “such
claims are untrue” and that the “current economic crisis rocking the
country could partly be attributed to the unguarded utterances and
unfounded allegations against the last administration by certain
individuals whom for the sake of political gains, painted the economy
black and by so doing, sent a negative message to the international
community and investors” as she once warned.
She
added that despite the challenges they faced in the last
administration, they did their best and had everything under control but
that the Buhari administration is now in charge and responsible for the
direction of the economy.
It
could be recalled that the ex-Finance minister once warned that the
unfounded allegations on the economy against the Jonathan
administration, could result to unintended consequences.
She said, “The allegations that the economy was in ruins are absolutely false,”
“we
cannot take away the fact that the Jonathan administration, in spite of
the challenges caused by 50 per cent decline in the price of oil, has
made a clear and measurable difference in many important areas and
anyone who says nothing has been done and nothing is being left behind
is being very unfair to facts and to history.
“Attempts
to rewrite history will not stand. You cannot just wipe the slate clean
for political reasons. We are not perfect but no one can take away the
fact that we left some good legacies behind.”
Speaking
further she said, “These negative and unsubstantiated comments are not
wise because they can lead to what we do not want for the economy.
“There
is nothing wrong with factual assessments of the economy. I have always
told Nigerians the truth about the economy. But sweeping and negative
statements are not in the interest of the country.
The statements being
made by some personalities about the economy collapsing are not only
incorrect they are also potentially dangerous” she said.
Its
been over a year since the termination of Jonathan’s administration at
the polls, and those who according to Ngozi, alleged that the economy
was in ruin under Jonathan, are now the ones in charge and saddled with
the responsibility of fixing what they once claimed was battered.
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