Yakubu Gowon, retired general and former military
head of state, on Wednesday, said Obafemi
Awolowo taught his government to survive
without taking loans.
head of state, on Wednesday, said Obafemi
Awolowo taught his government to survive
without taking loans.
While speaking with journalists on Wednesday,
retired general and former military head of state,
Yakubu Gowon, said the late legendary politician,
Obafemi Awolowo taught his government to survive
without taking loans, adding that budget padding
did not take place during his time in government.
Gowon who was the head of state between 1967
and 1973, while Awolowo was minister of finance
from 1967 to 1971, also called on the President
Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government for the
prosecution of those responsible for the padding
of the 2016 budget in order to deter others from
toeing the same path.
“If that is true. If anybody is doing that (budget
padding), the person should be checked and
stopped to ensure that such does not occur in the
future.
“We didn’t it do it during my time. We had Chief
Obafemi Awolowo in charge of our finance during
my time and he taught us to survive without
borrowing. Such (budget padding) should stop, there
is no point doing that.”
Recall that former federal house of representative
appropriations committee chairman, Abdulmumin
Jibrin, had last week, alleged padding of the 2016
budget, and accused Yakubu Dogara, speaker of
the house, Yusuff Lasun, deputy speaker, Alhassan
Ado Doguwa, chief whip and Leo Ogor, minority
leader – of padding the 2016 budget with N40
billion.
Gen. Gowon called on President Muhammadu and
his team to “do whatever” it can to get Nigeria out
of the current economic crisis.
“Minister of Finance Mrs. Kemi Adeosun, has been
telling us what they have been doing to get the
economy strong again. She said all will be well by
September. Let’s wait till then.
“I left government a long time ago, so I may not
really know what the problem is. The current
administration should do whatever they can to solve
to economic challenges. They should find a way to
restore confidence in the citizens and the nation at
large by fixing the economy,” he said.
