We’ve begun economy devolution to states -Osinbajo
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has said former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), granted him pardon for offence he never committed in the alleged military coup against the government of late Gen. Sani Abacha.
Obasanjo stated this in Minna, yesterday, at the opening ceremony of the Niger state Investment and Economic Summit.
The former president insisted that he was innocent of the charges brought against him, following which he was clamped into prison, alongside prominent military officers and civilians.
“I was going on with my life quietly (jeje) in the prison when General Abdulsalami Abubakar decided to get me out. He did not stop at that, but also decided to pardon, grant, and conspired with others to send me to the Presidency,” he said.
The former president, who said he had gone through several tortures in life, described General Abubakar as “one of those” that gave him torture by pardoning him for an offence he didn’t commit, and thereafter colluding with others to send him to the Presidency.
A drama ensued when General Abubakar was invited to the podium for a goodwill message, and pulled Obasanjo to accompany him, a development that excited the audience.
Speaking on goals of the summit, Obasanjo said, high interest rate on bank loans was militating against the growth of agriculture in the country.
He noted that double digit interest by banks was promoting failure in the agriculture sector, adding that interest on bank loans should not be more than 2.5 per cent.
Osinbajo speaks on devolution
Declaring the event open, Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, said the federal government has commenced devolution of the economy to states for rapid development of the country.
According to him, the federal government had given the go ahead to states to take over infrastructures that are of special interest to them in order to develop their economic potentials.
The acting president further said, states like Kaduna and Lagos, had keyed into the programme by taking over some federal roads.
He assured that work would soon be completed on the Minna–Suleja road, adding that the federal government would also reimburse the Niger state government for fund used in construction of that part of the road.
Osinbajo also disclosed that government had divested from hydro-electricity supply to the provision of solar energy as a way of resolving the nation’s energy crisis, assuring that solar power would soon be adequately available for domestic and industrial use.
In a goodwill message, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Saad Abubakar said Nigerians should be talking of devolution of economies to states instead of political devolution.
The royal father said the federal government should devolve economic powers to states, especially in areas where they have comparative advantage, as against the present situation whereby federal government takes monopoly of such infrastructures.
He argued that states for instance, should be allowed access to the use of dams for agricultural growth of host states towards improving the living standard of the citizens.
He called on the federal government to fix the Minna-Suleja road, saying he would have loved a situation whereby the Acting President drove along the road to get first hand information about the bad condition of the road.
In his remarks, the host, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello promised to implement the resolutions of the summit towards enhanced economic growth of the state.
While lauding Acting President Osinbajo for his concern for the state, the governor said the summit would open new window of opportunities for investors and the state.
olution to states -Osinbajo
