Thursday, 26 March 2015

FG will unbundle power in the next four years - Peter Obi By OGEMDI OZOEMENAM, Onitsha



The former Governor of Anambra State a nd Deputy Director-General (South Nigeria) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential campaign organisation, Mr Peter Obi has assured Nigerians that there would be biggest transformation in the power sector in the next four years of President Good luck Jonathan's administration during which electricity would be unbundled.

Mr Peter Obi stated this yesterday while unveiling the manifestoes and programmes of President Jonathan to Odenigbo FM, saying the biggest decision of President Jonathan to unbundle power would ensure that what happened in telecommunication industry in the country, will also happen in power sector.

While expressing optimism on the workability of the planned decision, the former governor noted that reliable power supply through the unbundling of power sector would not only create job opportunities but will also facilitate the engine of economic growth to enable micro, small and medium enterprises to grow.

On financing, he said, the Development Bank which was launched three days ago, came on live stream with over 300 billion and would lend long-term money for five to ten years at a competitive rate.

"These are game-changing decisions of president Jonathan. Everything APC want to come and do, Jonathan is already doing it, why don't they leave him to continue", Mr Obi queried, adding that Buhari should be allowed to retire in peace even as he described APC as being consistent with inconsistency.

On exchange rate between naira and dollar, the youngest and former chairman of Fidelity Bank, said   exchange rate is not stable but is determined by a lot of factors. "We face naira depreciation today because 75% of our income come from a singular item - oil. That could happen to me and you. If your only source of income is the money they pay you in Odenigbo FM and tomorrow, that is reduced to over 50%, it will affect all your budget in the house including the food you eat; and that is what we are going through now.

"Oil has moved from 115 naira per barrel to 55 which is our only source of income in the foreign exchange leading to depreciation of naira to 25%.

"Compare to other countries that depend on oil like Russia, Russia has faced 70% depreciation. In Venezuela, people cue up to buy essential commodity with food prices rising to 300 percent while our own, food prices have remained stable, just as countries without oil like Ghana has battered exchange rate", Chief Obi argued .

He urged eligible voters to vote massively for the PDP presidential candidate Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in view of better future the country stand to gain when he is elected into second term, begging Nigerians never to vote for anybody above 70 years in order not to take the country backward.

Asked why he defected from APGA to PDP, the Deputy Director-General (South Nigeria) of PDP presidential campaign organisation, said he is now a major player at the centre, playing in the premier league other than division one league.

According to him, he was with Ikemba Nnewi Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu at a critical time in his life and gave him a befitting burial and maintained that the Igbos must fight to be at the centre, hence his decision to be there.

Although from opposition party APGA, the former Governor averred that he attracted many laudable projects to the state and served for two terms more than any other governor in the state following his strong relationship at the centre more than any other governor in Nigeria.

He pointed out that"Nobody has been able to remove the governor through the court before me, nobody was able to come back to office from impeachment before me and nobody has served the old and new Anambra state for two terms before me. I built Nkpor flyover, Obosi bypass , had the best road network in the state, leapfrogged the state in education from number 24 in the federation to number one as well as built the first teaching hospital in the state.

"I was the first governor to leave money in foreign currency in the bank (156 million dollars) for my successor among other things".#

No comments:

Post a Comment