I’ll ban importation of rice, tomato –Buhari

The presidential candidate of the
All Progressives Congress, Maj.-Gen.
Muhammad Buhari (retd), on
Monday said if elected on February
14, he would ban the importation of
basic items like rice and tomato in
order to enhance local production
of the products.
He also said his administration
would focus on agriculture, mining,
infrastructure and job provision at
the top of its economic agenda.
Buhari, who gave a summary of
how he intended to revive the
economy in a meeting with the
Organised Private Sector in Lagos,
said his government would place
emphasis on three key issues of
security, tackling corruption and
reviving the ailing economy.
The meeting, which had all the key
members of the APC in attendance,
was hosted by the Lagos State
Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.
“How can Nigeria be importing
virtually everything? How can we
be importing even tomatoes? If I
am elected, basic items like rice
and tomatoes, which we have the
capacity to produce, will be banned
from being imported,” Buhari said.
The APC presidential candidate said
his commitment to the Nigerian
people would be governed by the
highest consideration for how his
policies would create jobs.
He also said he would focus on the
provision of infrastructure such as
power and roads.
Buhari, who said he agreed with
the current administration on the
privatisation of the power utilities,
however, said there would be a
need to also privatise the
transmission segment.
According to him, the privatisation
of the power sector has yet to
achieve the desired result because
after the handing over of the assets
to private investors, the hard work
to connect the various parts of the
power chain, supply gas, install
transformers and complete
substations has not been done.
He added, “Our studies show that
we will require no less than 200,000
trained personnel to support the
initiative to provide power and
light up Nigeria.
“Apart from the inherent direct
employment that this will give, the
reduction in the cost of production,
the savings from self-generation by
Nigerians, who currently spend a
lot of their income on purchase of
diesel and petrol to generate their
own electricity, will reduce the
burden on their disposable
income.”
An existing plan to build a refinery
in Lagos will be supported by the
Federal Government, according to
Buhari.
Another area of infrastructure
investment that will receive
attention, according to him, is road
and highway construction from one
end of the country to the other.
He said his administration would
concentrate on roads and highways
that linked the states, while state
governments would be expected
to connect their respective areas to
the highways.
Buhari said, “Road construction
alone will unlock value chain of
opportunities for construction
companies, builders, engineers,
architects, quarry operators,
cement and iron rod producers and
suppliers.
“The successful opening up of
Nigeria by the construction of new
roads and highways will revive
road transport, truck manufacture,
tyre manufacture as well as engine
oil and brake pad production on
one hand. It will also create a
demand for job for mechanics,
drivers and those engaged in
transport support businesses.
“We expect a revival of all the
interstate economies to thrive
across Nigeria, providing support to
travellers by way of canteens,
restaurants, farm produce etc.”
He, however, said because
corruption was affecting the
performance of the economy, he
would tackle it headlong if elected
into office.
According to him, the alleged $20bn
missing crude oil proceeds, which
was estimated to be equal to about
N4.2tn, were nearly a year’s budget.
He said with N5m per vehicle, the
amount could provide 840,000
patrol vehicles to help improve on
the security of towns and villages
across the country.
The APC presidential candidate also
noted that the amount could
provide 311,000 buses that could
revolutionise the transport sector
of the economy.
He said, “If the average cost of
generating one megawatt of power
is about $1.5m (excluding gas and
distribution costs), $20bn would
have brought us over 13,333MW of
power. What a difference that will
make in the country!

all we need is CHANGE!!!!

ancl wrote:

all we need is CHANGE!!!!

hmmmmmm Impossible bro.

You av neva enter yet u are talking of banning rice and tomato.
Nigeria want to turn another thing

My people sin your face

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

ancl wrote:

all we need is CHANGE!!!!

hmmmmmm Impossible bro.

Very possible

Nah you go change am abi?

Isn't this too early and shows lack of economic knowledge. How can u ban products u cannot produce domestically? He should talk of first increasing Nigeria's capacity to produce enough quantities of these products before banning their importation. These could start from huge incentives to encourage farmers. This CHANGE! Hmmm! Hope we get it right o?

Their is plan on ground

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

Nah you go change am abi?

No be me, nah God.

God will guide him

sunnyga wrote:

God will guide him

Amen

This Buhari has come again with his military mentality
This man will not smell dat seat
we no want military dictatorshi. Amen

hearttalk30 wrote:

This Buhari has come again with his military mentality
This man will not smell dat seat
we no want military dictatorshi. Amen

amen ooh

GMB the era of our democracy does not welcome ur sheep in wolfs clothing of a thing,u still have ur ex soldier mentality.many nigerian's does not want a change negative backwards.we are moving forward and we believe in forward ever transformation,2019 is another chance in APC.well i leave it to new bread politician in years to come to ponder.

lisonic wrote:

GMB the era of our democracy does not welcome ur sheep in wolfs clothing of a thing,u still have ur ex soldier mentality.many nigerian's does not want a change negative backwards.we are moving forward and we believe in forward ever transformation,2019 is another chance in APC.well i leave it to new bread politician in years to come to ponder.

even if it happened before APC can neva rule the presidential in nigeria.

Ok oooo!

Even if 2019 reach buhari will be @79years old and we all nigeria did not want our grand father to become our president. He av to rest because a person who clock 70yrs is no more young rather to leand nigeria useless.

GEJ till 2019

[quote="aneke peter chukwujekwu"]Even if 2019 reach buhari will be @79years old and we all nigeria did not want our grand father to become our president. He av to rest because a person who clock 70yrs is no more young rather to leand nigeria useless.

GEJ till 2019[/quote
True talk boss

Is it on this matter or something else ?

eddyvic wrote:

Is it on this matter or something else ?

something else has how?

[quote="20manlotto"]

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

Even if 2019 reach buhari will be @79years old and we all nigeria did not want our grand father to become our president. He av to rest because a person who clock 70yrs is no more young rather to leand nigeria useless.

GEJ till 2019[/quote
True talk boss

yea my brother, people didn't understand this game if GEJ is not doing gud he is better than the formers both abubaka, gowon, even that buhari himself...... Is better we retain the one we av than to change.