January 18, 2022

Former President of the Senate and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, says he will give Nigeria stability and cohesion if elected President of Nigeria in the 2023 presidential election.

Anyim  who is gunning to pick the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, also said he will revive the nation’s economy by creating the environment for manufacturing, industrialization, talents and innovation, science and technology.

He spoke on Arise TV as part of his nationwide consultation, public enlightenment and advocacy to sell his credentials to Nigeria.

Anyim said he is the most competent hand to unify a fractured Nigeria because he has done it before in Senate where he built sustainable synergy and harmony among the senators despite inheriting a fragmented Senate.

He said he restored unity among senators in the Senate and he can do same in Nigeria among all the stakeholders, stressing that unity and inclusivity are some of the fundamentals that must be addressed first.

The Ebonyi-state born lawyer famed for his people skill and deft administrative competence referenced the nation’s rising debt and poor economy as reasons Nigerians have lost hope in the Federal Government, but he was quick to add, “I will restore that hope.”

He said he has the capacity to revive the country’s economy to become self-sufficient and debt-free.

“For me, the drivers of the economy will now be on industrialisation and manufacturing, talents and innovation, science and technology.

“This certainly is going to be the key drivers of the economy of the second half of the 21st century and I will develop this, build on this and prepare Nigeria to fit into the fourth industrial revolution.

“That obviously will expand the economy; that will make the economy more competitive and more dynamic.

“I will also focus on the enablers of development. the factors, the circumstances and the situations that promote prosperity and development.

“I understand that last year, the nation earned about N5.5trillion as revenue and out of the N5.5trn, N4.2trn went into debt servicing and debt repayment, leaving just N1.3trn to run the country.

“I also want to believe as a matter of rule that you are not allowed to borrow more than 40 per cent of your GDP and our borrowing rate now is at 36.9 per cent.

“I think that will make it more frightening for anybody coming in. But I can tell you that even at that, that does not scare me. The challenges are temporary and the challenges are that of leadership.

“If I am to focus on the economy as I did say before, I will focus the economy on the contemporary world direction- manufacturing, talent and innovation, science and technology.

“If you elevate talent and innovation, then all you need to do is simply create the infrastructure for innovation and support new startup business, then just concentrate on what will create jobs on its own.

“Support the younger ones in setting up their own businesses in such a manner that they don’t need to wait for government employment and once they create their own businesses, they will be in the position to employ others.

“The advantage of private sector employment is that it is more efficient, it is more rewarding in terms of payment of salaries and it is more productive.

“So, I will focus on those things that will create an economic environment that will encourage talented Nigerians to deploy their talents and eventually focus on innovation that will fit into the fourth industrial revolution that is already here with us.”