Following the controversies generated by the recent report that the country has exited from recession, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBC) on Wednesday said that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) report which indicated that Nigeria exited recession in the second quarter was not politically motivated.
The Statistician-General for the Federation and Chief Executive, NBS, Dr. Yemi Kale, stated this in Abuja during an interaction with journalists on the report.
Kale explained that the NBS is an agency of government that has the independence to carry out survey and publish its findings based on international best practices and does not need to publish a report to favour any administration.
He reminded his audience that after a careful study on the economy, there was an earlier prediction that the country may exit recession by the end of the year, and wondered why the report was seen as being politically motivated when it was the product of research.
He went further to fault those making claim that the outcome of the report may have been influenced by political considerations, adding that none of the reports of the agency is influenced politically nor doctored.
The NBS boss added that even at the risk of not being reappointed at the tail end of his tenure, economic reports that were not in favour of government activities were published by the agency, insisting that if he didn’t doctor the report then, there was no basis to do so now.
According to him, “In this administration, I am the one that published that we are in recession, and I am also the one that is saying, we are now out of recession,” Kale stated.
From the national leadership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came yesterday a declaration that there is nothing to celebrate over the disclosure by the NBS, which Nigeria has exited from economic recession which began in early 2016.
Towards this effect, the PDP cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government to “desist from playing with statistics.”
The chairman of the National Caretaker Committee (NCC) of the PDP, Sen Ahmed Makarfi, while warning against politicizing the exit of recession, noted that the economy was plunged into recession because of the lack of government’s economic policy which scared away foreign investors.
Makarfi pointed out that the real indicators that the problem of recession has been solved will be when people are able to eat well, find good jobs, pay tuition fees among others. He posited that for as long as those issues still linger, there will be nothing to clap for about the state of the economy.
“The country did not get into recession under the PDP administration. It nosedived into recession because of the policies that the APC administration came with which frightened foreign investors which led to capital flight.
“We have nothing to clap for. We have a lot to do. That is what PDP intends to correct when we come to power. “But be that as it may, what we can do, even at the moment is to partner with those in power to make sure that the conditions of every Nigerians, especially the ordinary people is better.
We won’t politicize over that”, he said. Meanwhile, the Ekiti state governor, Mr. Ayo Fayose, has faulted claim by the federal government that Nigeria was out of economic recession, saying: “The reality is that Nigerians are suffering and dying, with foods and drugs out of their reach and no among of economic statistics will make meaning to people who cannot afford to eat once daily.”
Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said “Claiming that Nigeria is out of economic recession without any corresponding effect on the living condition of the people is just like they said Boko Haram had been defeated and over 400 people were killed by the insurgents in the last five months.”
The governor, who also described the reason given for the cancellation of Federal Executive Council meeting slated for today as funny, said; “Is it not funny that the same federal government that declared public holiday forgot that there would be a Tuesday after the public holiday and FEC meeting will be held on Wednesday?
“Methinks they should look for another lie next week because the reality is that President Muhammadu Buhari does not have the required mental capacity and strength to rule Nigeria and I maintain that he should consider his health as well as the overall interests of Nigeria and resign.”
On the news of Nigeria exiting recession being promoted by the federal government, Governor Fayose asked; “If Nigeria is indeed out of economic recession, has price of foodstuffs like rice reduced to N7,000 per bag that it was when Buhari took over power? Is dollar now N197 to $1? Is petrol now back to N87 per litre that Buhari met it in May 2015?
Are Nigerians now feeding comfortably, even if it is once in a day? “Most importantly, are States now getting enough allocation from the federation account to be able to meet their obligations, especially payment of salary?” He said the claim was nothing but another attempt by the President Buhari led APC to deceive Nigerians ahead of the 2019 elections.
