Buhari Gets Serious: I will ban importation of Rice, Tomato, etc

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Muhammad Buhari, on Monday declared that if he is voted in as President on February 14, 2015, he would ban the importation of basic items like rice, tomato in order to enhance local production of the products for the good of Nigerians.

He also said his administration would focus on agriculture, mining, infrastructure and job provision at the top of its economic agenda.

Buhari gave a summary of how he would revive the economy in a meeting with Organised Private Sector in Lagos. He said his government would place emphasis on security, corruption, economy.

“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.”

The meeting, which had key members of the APC in attendance, was hosted by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola.