...Says Nigeria is broke. By Myke Uzendu, Abuja
As the country goes into strigent fiscal crises, former Senate President Bukola has said that the country is broke as Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) contributes nothing to the federation accounting (FAAC) in the last few months.
The former governor of Kwara State further revealed that up to 70 million liters of fuel are stolen daily just as the country loses about $2billion annually to fuel subsidy scam but pledged to bring the era of oil theft and corruption in the oil sector to an end if he makes it to the number one position in the country.
Saraki made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja when he met with members of PDP Board of Trustees as part of his consultative meeting to get the endorsement of some of the organs of the party to key into his Presidential ambition.
He said, "The economy is weak. No. The country is broke. I am not exaggerating.
"As of today NNPC does not contribute anything to Federation account. 70% of our oil is being stolen it has never been like this before. I am saying this because I know you know is bad but it is worse than you can imagine. Because there are some of us that have an idea of how bad the situation is.
"I cannot be a president and I will be having the kind of theft that is going on in the Niger Delta, depriving hundreds of millions for Nigeria. Today we are losing $3.5b because of the oil theft happening.
"When I was a Senator, I raised a motion, the motion cost me because after I raised the motion I was invited to EFCC but I still fought for what i stood for, that what we're spending on fuel subsidy is fake.
"I raised a motion that we're consuming 30 million litres a day. After I raised it, it came down to 25 million liters. By my action we saved $500 million for this country. Today, they are stealing 70 million liters per day. The day with your grace, I'm elected president, that will stop in this country. We will save over 2 trillion naira. "Do you know what 2 trillion Naira will do for our schools, our education and our health? This is a time for us to find somebody that has what it takes to lead this country".
The Presidential hopeful said that the country is sharply decided and needed a unifier that will navigate the country beyond ethnic, religious boundaries. He said that the next President must be able to stand between the youth and the old, the business community and the government sector, a quality he claims to possess in abundance.
"Today, the kind of President we need is a president that understands these issues. If the President does not understand the issues as we have seen, he cannot provide leadership. This is a fact. If the president doesn't understand the issues he cannot provide leadership. You cannot lead what you don't know, it leads to confusion. The advisors become the president. The aides become the president. The person you put there is not the person who is leading the country.
"The kind of President we need today must be a president that can unite. There is pain in the land, there is division in the land. You cannot unite if you don't have the characteristics or the qualities to unite people. You cannot acquire it overnight. You must have the skill to unite. Some of us, myself in particular, by virtue of the experiences we have picked up from roles we have played in this country can provide unity.
"You cannot lead in an environment where first of all equals, presiding the parliament. You must have a skill to unite people which is different when you're governor. I was governor. It was different because as governor you are an executive, you give order and everybody says yes. When you're in Parliament, you cannot give order. You must be able to unite and provide leadership. I was able to do that. I was able to provide leadership when I was chairman of 36 governors which again, you are first among equals. When the party needed someone to provide leadership and reconciliation, I was called upon. Reconciling people too, is a skill of uniting people, it is when we unite this country that we can move it forward. For you to unite, you must be a bridge.
"I can provide a bridge between the North and the South in this country today. I can provide a bridge between the Christians and the Muslims in this country today. I can provide a bridge between the young and the old in this country today. I can provide a bridge between what I call the private sector and government leaders. When we talk about security or insecurity, you must talk about the economy the two go together and you cannot turn around this country if you do not understand the economy. We need to turn around the economy and address the security.
"We talk about restructuring. To implement restructuring, you need a leader and a president that has the political sagacity and the experience of the legislature and the executive arm of government. Otherwise it's continuing to be just talk".
Responding, the PDP BoT chairman, Sen. Walid Jubrin assured Saraki that the BoT which he described as the conscience of the party will not pitch it's tent with any particular aspirant.
While assuring him that they have no doubt that he possess all the qualities which the present leadership of the country lacks, he assured Saraki of the support of the party and that an enabling environment is assured.
