Sen Girei declares support for state police, urges Tinubu to ban BDCs
Senator Abubakar Halilu Girei has expressed explicit support for the creation of state police. He also urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ban the activities of Bureau De Change (BDCs) otherwise known as parallel markets nationwide for at least 10 years to stabilize the naira.
Girei who made the position while contributing to the ongoing national debate for a lasting solution to the insecurity and economic challenges facing the country noted that the president needs to take tough measures to reset the country which is currently at a tipping point.
“I wish to call on president Tinubu to set aside the sum of two trillion naira to be approved by the national assembly as an additional supplementary budget to tackle security challenges nationwide, including the establishment of state police when passed into law.
“The government should also enforce the laws declaring foreign currencies as illegal tender and ban all forex parallel markets nationwide for a period of 10 years to enable us stabilize,” Girei said during a press conference on the state of the nation on Wednesday.
Senator Girei via a ten point recommendation, also urged the president to constitute a judicial commission of enquiry to arrest those indicted in massive looting of Nigeria’s resources in the last 12 years and recover the loot which is enough to revive the economy of the nation.
“In the last 12 years the country was ruled with blithe regards to the rule of law. The leadership space was infiltrated by greedy scammers and charlatans who engaged in open and documented frauds through all sorts of schemes including Forex arbitrage, round tripping, phantom subsidy payment claims, oil bunkering and direct theft of public funds through illegal tax waivers and ways and means.
“In a brazen manner, the NNPCL for years stopped contributing to FAAC on account of spending all its earnings in the payment of phantom subsidy claims which professionals and even industry analyst dismissed as a scam.
“Those who rode our nation roughshod in the last 12 years, and looted our treasury with impunity should be brought to justice to answer for the atrocities they meted to our people and their loots confiscated. A special purpose entity should be empaneled by the presidency to investigate, recover and punish the ones found guilty.
“The government should ensure that all indicted public servants face litigation to account for the roles they played in aiding and abetting corruption. The National Assembly should also queue behind the president by coming up with appropriate legislation including capital punishment against those who perpetrated heinous economic and financial crimes in the country,” Girei said.
Other recommendations made by the politician include;
The issuance of a presidential order asking all political office holders at national, states and LGA to sacrifice and contribute 40% of their salaries and allowances, for two years, towards ameliorating the pains of Nigerians.
A supplementary budget of one trillion naira to the NASS for immediate approval for Bank of Agriculture to fund credit delivery to all the value chains in the Agricultural and Livestock sector.
A presidential order for the immediate implementation of the white paper on “Oronsanye Report” to rationalize the MDAs and reduce cost of governance.
Urged the president to summon a meeting of National Council of State and National Economic Council to harmonize their position and implement security, economic and other necessary political measures to ease the suffering of the Nigerian people nationwide.
Urged the government to take maximum caution in the implementation of lMF/World Bank policies as no serious country abandons the value of its currency completely to market forces.
Called on the president to do all within his powers to establish an equilibrium between the pump price of petrol and electricity tariff to the income level of average Nigerians. It is also my humble opinion that the government should do everything to sanitize the administration of subsidy on petroleum products and electricity but not abolished the subsidies because of the important place of petrol and electricity in all economic value chains.
Urged the government to spare no effort to tackle the scourge of smuggling of petroleum resources to neighbouring countries while NNPCL should remain the sole importer and exporter of petroleum products which means other importers should purchase petroleum products only from the NNPCL.
Urged the president to order the stoppage of subsidy payment to independent Marketers because that is a major source of diversion of public funds to private pockets.
