The Akwa Ibom governorship aspirant under the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ita Enang, has compared Nigeria to a balloon, in terms of its poor but ailing economy.
Speaking at Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre, Information Drive, Uyo, Enang last Thursday admitted that ”We are managing Nigeria like a balloon. Nigeria is broke. There is no money.’’
Nigeria’s public debt stands at N45 trillion as at March 2022, according to Debt Management Office (DMO).
This forced DMO to have nursed plans to borrow N6.9 trillion to finance the 2022 budget deficit.
Recall that on April 14, 2022, the Nigerian House of Representatives approved payment of N4 trillion as subsidy for Petroleum Motor Spirit (popularly known as petrol).
Read also: I won’t be a visiting Governor- Senator Ita Enang assures
The Senator who was responding to a question on when Calabar-Itu Federal Highway would be completed for inauguration blamed the delay on dearth of funds.
He bemoaned the ailing economy of the country resulting in taking of more foreign loans.
He said payment of huge sums of money under fuel subsidy regime by the Federal Government has helped to drain the economy, calling for legality of modular refineries to curb fuel imports.
Enang who is the Senior Special to the President on Niger Delta Affairs admitted ”I attracted the N180 billion to Calabar- Itu Road project.’’
The Senator said work is in progress on the road which will boast of four bridges following mobilization of Julius Berger Nigeria Construction and CCECC to site, pending the mobilization to contractors to begin the Itu-Ikot Ekpene Highway.
On attracting Federal Government projects to the state, he blamed Governor Udom Emmanuel for not always visiting President Muhammadu Buhari to request for any assistance.
According to him, governors of some poor revenue- earning states such as Ebonyi, Cross River and Jigawa frequently visit the President to solicit financial assistance.
Enang vowed to emulate the administration styles of Obong Victor Attah and Senator Godswill Akpabio, saying ”I would not emulate the Governor Emmanuel administration style. If I win the election, I can complete ongoing development projects, definitely not what he described as the poor administration style. After all, the state funds were used in the execution of the development. So, the people stand to lose if the projects are abandoned.’’
The governorship aspirant who came with Jubilee mantra as his campaign slogan, however, solicited support from Akwa Ibom journalists to grab the APC governorship ticket and win the 2023 general election.
