By Agboola Bayo
Ibadan
A former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, has declared that “Nigeria needs a think-tank economic team on whether the naira is going to be more devalued or not as a way out of its present economic crisis.”
Chief Anyaoku said this in Ibadan yesterday at the launch of a book titled: “Audacity on the Bound: A Diplomatic Odyssey,” written by a former Nigerian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ambassador Olusola Sanu, to mark his 86th birthday anniversary.
He charged President Muhammadu Buhari to without wasting time constitute a strong team and experienced economic experts and analysts “who can best take Nigeria out of this present economic crisis.”
Chief Anyaoku maintained that “for now the best way to take the country out of the economic mess characterised by high inflation, high cost of living, fuel scarcity, dwindling oil revenue and shortage of power was to think outside the box and immediately constitute the think-tank economic team whether the naira is going to be more devalued or not.”
“I will like to use this opportunity to restate my view that President Muhammadu Buhari should stick to his devaluation agenda and constitute a team of experts to best tackle the economy crisis; experts and analysts who will best tackle the economic crisis including whether Naira will be devalued or not.
“He should constitute a team of economic experts and analysts to best tackle the economic crises including the situation of devaluing or not devaluing the Naira.”
Speaking further, Chief Anyaoku charged ex-diplomats to, as a matter of concern, put their own experiences and times in a book for young generations to learn from as a way of finding solution to the present global challenges and problems including terrorism, insurgency, insecurity and financial crises now confronting most countries of the world.
Chief Anyaoku who pointed out that the various problems highlighted in the past by Ambassador Sanu in the book had vindicated his call for restructuring of the nation’s presidential system of government “where a chairman of a local government has array of advisers.”
Special Guest of Honour and former Military Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon (retd), in his remark, said Ambassador Sanu’s contributions and innovations led to the establishment and creation of many organisations which contributed to the integration of African nations in the past.
