Senator Shehu Sani, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Debts, has advised the president, Muhammadu Buhari and the Federal Government to put in place plans that will be achieved in the foreseeable future to cushion the effect of the blow dealt by the present economic conditions on the nation’s citizens.
The Kaduna-Central Senatorial District representative at the Senate while speaking to news agency, Punch, noted that the current economic situation has held Nigerians in bondage and thus caused suffering and death. He further added that going by Buhari’s plans and time frame, Nigerians might die off before any of Buhari’s reforms is achieved.
Senator Sani said: “If you happen to be in a position of power, inasmuch as you want to bring reforms that are painful, you have to understand the need for you to carry the people along because if you keep on bringing reforms and continue to unleash hardship on the people, you may as well say there is a paradise but people need to be alive to reach that paradise.
“If you keep reforming and reforming and the people are suffering and dying, you may reach the Promised Land alone because by that time everyone has died. Of what use would that be?”
Further in the interview, the Senator called the attention of the president to his popularity status among Nigerians which he said was dropping by the day. He noted that the support Nigerians gave him during the elections is now a shadow of itself.
“Let me tell you how it started, which is general with all persons who just took power in Nigeria. In 1979 and 1999, when a new president assumed office, he would have the support of all Nigerians. The first stage will be, ‘We support you; we stand by you and we are going to back you’.
“The second stage will be, ‘We are advising you’. The third stage will be, ‘We are cautioning you’. At the fourth stage, Nigerians will say, ‘We are warning you’. The fifth stage will be, ‘We doubt you’. The sixth stage, it will be, ‘You are incompetent’. The seventh stage will be, ‘You should go’.
“When you study these stages, you will see that we have moved behind 100 per cent support to “advise”. And with letters flying and criticisms following, it is about “cautioning”. And I think the handwritings are on the wall for everybody to see.”