Ex-presidential aspirant asks Tinubu to sustain Nigeria-China economic ties if elected

From Abubakar Yunusa Abuja

MosesAyom, a former presidential aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), has asked Bola Tinubu, to sustain the economic relationship that Nigeria has with China.

In 2016, Nigeria and China signed a number of agreements when President Muhammadu Buhari visited Xi Jinping, his Chinese counterpart.

In a statement , Ayom, also the chief executive officer (CEO) of Granite and Marble, said the agreements, if sustained, would reduce unemployment in the country.

“As a member of the president’s entourage to the historic business trip to broker the agreement, I recalled that on the same trip, the $6 billion currency swap deal was achieved,” Ayom said.

“Also, a mining company, Granite and Marble, signed a business deal with one of the biggest manufacturer of mining equipment in the world, SBM China Ltd.

“I am delighted about the commissioning of the Dangote owned $2.5 billion fertilizer equipment plant in Lagos early last year. I am hopeful that the SBM deal that is meant to be located in Abuja and supported by the central bank with RSSF, will soon take off.”

The former aspirant said Tinubu is the best candidate for the presidency.

Agencies to fish out the oil marketers and other economic saboteurs that may be responsible for the fuel scarcity across the Nigeria.

The resolution followed a motion brought under matters of urgent public importance on Wednesday, by Hon. Leke Abejide on the need for the concerned agencies to immediately end petrol scarcity across the country.

The lawmaker noted that the National Assembly has approved the money for the payment of subsidy on the petroleum products so as to mitigate against unforeseen circumstances in the areas of shortages of the product, lamenting that for “over three months there has been persistent scarcity of PMS in many parts of the country and the situation appears to be getting worse”.

According to him, there are uneven pump prices being dispensed by the Filling Stations across the country which fuelled speculations that government may have begun to remove subsidy on petrol, adding that there is the allegation of drop in petrol supply to marketers by private depots which is creating a dangerous mindset in the country.

“The current fuel crisis across the country may worsen in the days ahead with the introduction of a N16.00 per liter charge”, he stated, noting that another contributing factor to the scarcity of the product may be unconnected with the increased cost of hiring daughter vessels in the hike in liter charges which hitherto were paid in Naira but now being charged in US Dollar.

He said partly, “the scarcity is associated with saboteurs among some of the key stakeholders who deliberately manipulated the system”, and that due to the scarcity, Nigerians are exposed to all sorts of hardships which has resulted in a hike in transportation fares and high cost of some major food items.

“Also concerned that another contributing factor to the scarcity of the product may be unconnected with the increased cost of hiring daughter vessels in the hike in liter charges which hitherto were paid in Naira but now being charged in US Dollars;

“Further concerned that the scarcity is associated with saboteurs among some of the key stakeholders who deliberately manipulated the system;

Also worried that as a result of petrol scarcity Nigerians are not finding it easy in their day-to-day livelihood activities”, he said.