OPINION: Atiku’s Leadership Of The Economic Management Team – Oby Ezekwesili lied By Oche Otorkpa

It was Caesar J. B. Squitti who said that “Human half-truth logic, dates back to Adam and Eve, when he tried to deceive God with a truth, ‘we knew we were naked so we hid’, leaving God to understand that something was wrong with Adam’s logic, because if Adam knew THE TRUTH, he would know that you can’t hide from God.

Few days ago, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili failed in an attempt to rewrite history when she joined the league of political hirelings who myopically think that embarrassing H.E Atiku Abubakar with false claims can prevent him from becoming President.

In a tweet posted on her handle, she claimed that Atiku was never the Head of the Economic Management Team as Vice President from 1999-2007. That tweet on its own clearly shows that the woman is either suffering from amnesia or had no idea of what the Nigerian constitution says, if not madam “empirical evidence” would have simply looked at what the constitution says and stop trying to make a fool of herself.

The National Economic Council (NEC) is established by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended; Section 153(1) and Paragraphs 18 & 19 of Part I of the Third Schedule.

For the sake of those she misled with that whimsical tweet, here is what the Nigerian constitution expressly says about economic management in Nigeria:

Part 1 of third Schedule, paragraphs 18 and 19 of 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended, states that there shall be National Economic Council which shall comprise the following members –

(a) the Vice-President who shall be the Chairman; the Governor of each State of the Federation; and the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria and this Council shall have power to advise the President concerning the economic affairs of the Federation, and in particular on measures necessary for the coordination of the economic planning efforts or economic programmes of the various Governments of the Federation.

Sources:

https://nigerian-constitution.com/third-schedule-part-1-h-national-economic-council/

National Economic Council

Madam ‘beggar with receipt’ can quietly support her tribal candidate without spewing half truths and manipulated facts. Atiku led the economic management team from 1999 till 2007, that team included the current Director-General of the World Trade Organization Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, who successfully renegotiated and paid off Nigeria’s entire debt with the Paris Club before the current disaster’s in government plunged our unborn children into the biggest debt trap in the history of our country with over ₦70 trillion in debts hanging over our necks.

On the leadership of the economic management team, these were the exact words of Atiku:

“I’m not a messiah. I do not promise Eldorado or $1 = N1, but I always ask that we should look at the economic progress we made under my leadership and what I am doing in private business and judge me by those. As VP, I assembled what is arguably the best economic team ever in Nigeria. It was made up of young, world-class professionals, who came home to work. Some of those professionals are now political leaders, governors and world leaders in their own right.” – Atiku Abubakar.

Thanks to those patriotic efforts, men and women like Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Mr. Kekere Ekun, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, Bode Augusto, Ms Ifueko Omoigui and other first class professionals were invited to help grow the Nigerian economy.

Fortunately, many of those in that team are still alive today, and will speak shortly on how Atiku assembled them and the contributions they made for the advancement of the nation’s economy.

No amount of mud slinging can stop a man whose time has come, H.E Atiku and Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa represents Nigeria’s best chance of coming out of the economic doom it has been thrown into by the directionless APC government.

Casting your vote for Peter Obi like Madam Oby and her cohorts are promoting is tantamount to voting for APC because even Peter himself knows he is not going anywhere in next month’s Presidential election.

To whom brain is given, sense is required. May God Help Us to Help Ourselves On the 25th of February 2023.

Dr. Oche Otorkpa (FRSPH-UK)

Member PDP Presidential Campaign Council