Olawepo-Hashim to reposition economy

A presidential candidate, Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has objected to what he described as the poor economic management strategy of the All Progressive Congress (APC). He lamented the growing poverty, adding that solution is on the way.

The candidate of the People’s Trust (PT) said: “APC’s woeful failure has put 88million Nigerians into acute poverty. 1.1m got into that bracket in the last four months despite relatively high oil price”

He told reporters in Abuja that Nigerians are getting poorer because of the woeful economic management strategy or lack of strategy of the APC government, and “even though Nigeria was not a prosperous economy when President Buhari took over, Nigerian economy has now gone from bad to worse”

The politician stressed that the recent revelation by the Brooklyn Institute that 88 million Nigerians now live under acute poverty is disappointing, especially that a new 1million more Nigerians moved into the poverty bracket within the last four months.

He noted that the data from Youth unemployment, job losses look like the APC has a covenant with poverty and misery. “There is no reason for this when oil prices is high”

He vowed to cut down acute poverty by half in the country, within five years of his election as president and commander-in-chief, and then set the nation’s economy on the path of modernisation and all round development.

Olawepo-Hashim added: “Our new Nigerian Economic Development plan will create 4 trillion dollars GDP in 10 years by the Grace of God. We target to net 5% of Global infrastructure funds in 10 years by removing obstacles to investments and rapidly increase the ease of doing business in Nigeria.

“We will promote an innovative economy by protecting proprietary rights of innovators and the sanctity of agreement. We will integrate Agriculture, Solid Mineral Sector with industries and increase manufacturing share of the GDP to 40% and then tackle unemployment through industry based jobs”

A veteran of many struggles, right from his youth as a student union activist in the 1980’s, and a pro-democracy activist in the early 90’s, he has been a businessman politician for almost two and a half decades.

The mission for him remains Nigeria, “the transformation of Nigeria’s economy from a poor 510 billion dollar economy to a 4 trillion dollar economy within 10 years, the reduction in poverty and the restoration of peace, unity and stability in Nigeria, a country that the ruling party has badly mismanaged”

He said: “I am therefore better placed to bring the country back together. I am most assured I can get the job done given my record of accomplishment” he said with a high of confidence, adding “I will restructure the economy from a dependent one to a self-reliant economy by investing in iron and steel, research and development, and in other critical sectors.”

These critical sectors, he pursued, will include “chemical and machine tools, so as to generate the production of capital goods, local capital and to bring in prosperity, through the needed multipliers.”