Lai: We will soon start ‘firing from all cylinders’

Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, has assured Nigerians that they will soon get the change they voted for.

In a chat with civil society organisations, the minister said ‎better days were ahead, maintaining that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not renege on its campaign promises.

“In the next few days, this administration will start firing from all cylinders, starting with the unveiling of the 2016 budget,” Segun Adeyemi, the minister’s special adviser, quoted him as saying.

“This government will not give excuses. The painstaking and methodical approach by the Buhari administration, its deep analysis and understanding of the challenges and the recent inauguration of the cabinet will herald a new dawn.

“Nigerians will witness measurable and impactful progress in all spheres of governance. We shall not abandon our social intervention policies such as one meal a day for school children and the payment of 5,000 Naira each to vulnerable Nigerians. We are committed to lifting millions of Nigerians out of poverty.”

On how the administration would fund its programmes, in view of the drastic fall in the price of crude oil, Mohammed said it would be through the diversification of the economy, plugging of leakages as well as exploiting and widening the country’s tax base without necessarily raising taxes.

“A comparative analysis between Nigeria and South Africa will drive the point home. In 2013, with a population of 160 million and GDP of $510 billion, Nigeria collected $30 billion in taxes, whereas South Africa, with a population of 54 million and GDP of $366 billion, collected $74 billion in taxes,” he said.

“In 2014, Nigeria, with a population of 170 million and GDP of $535 billion, collected $26 billion, while South Africa, with a GDP of $350 billion and population of 54 million, raked in $70 billion. From the figures, it is obvious that if only we can widen our tax base, we do not need to raise taxes to increase our tax revenue.”

Mohammed commended the organisations for the role they played during the last general election, saying the organisations, especially those grouped under the Situation Room, contributed hugely to the success of the polls.

He said the Buhari administration would carry the civil society along in its efforts to change, for the better, the country’s fortunes.

“That is why we have started our engagement with you this early. Therefore, this will be the first in a series of engagements with the civil society. We see you as credible, and we see you as patriots, who are genuinely interested in the welfare of the people,” he said.

In his speech on behalf of The Situation Room, Clement Nwankwo urged the federal government to tackle growing national issues with the urgency that it deserves.

“Expectations are very high amongst Nigerians for the changes promised by General Buhari during the campaigns. The need to deliver on campaign promises is against the background of the complete lack of public trust in government and its institutions,” he said.