Lagos Country Club tells Buhari to avoid past mistakes

Lagos Country Club has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to urgently deploy a clear-cut policy to rejig the economy in his second term of office.The president, Tajudeen Akande, said this yesterday at a press briefing to herald the 70th anniversary celebration of the association.Linking lack of direction and uncertainty to the country’s economic woes, it noted that such mistakes should not be repeated, as the country cannot wait again for six months for ministers to be appointed.

The management council of the club decried the country’s struggling economy in the past three and half years and expressed optimism that things would be better, with adequate measures in place. Akande lamented that many businesses could not have a final seal on their budgets yet because they were waiting for the government’s budget.

He said: “No doubt, the economy has been struggling. For the past three and half years, our economy and our political system have been going through transition. The truth is that we have an economy that is dependent on one product, which is crude oil. Every economy that is dependent on crude oil has been in trouble since the last three years. That is the fact.

“The problem of Nigeria was compounded by the political transition. The only thing the business community wants is certainty. The main problem we had at the first transition was uncertainty and lack of direction. It doesn’t matter the economic policy you adopt, as it will only run when you have people that can manage the policies.

“We will be advising this government that as they settle down for second term, there must be clear-cut policies that are well-marshalled and communicated. Businesses are waiting to know what direction so that they can do their own strategic plan and responses. “Whatever is this administration’s economic policy, it must be pushed to the public domain in good time. Information is as good and useful as to its timeliness.

“This is March, most of the businesses don’t have a final sign on budget because they are waiting for the government’s budget.” Director-general of the planning committee, Babatunde Okunuga, urged politicians not to be desperate in their bid to be elected into political offices, saying “these are the things responsible for inconclusive elections.”In the programme for the anniversary tagged ‘Something for everybody’, Okunuga mentioned that the anniversary lecture would hold on July 30, while the grand ball was fixed for August 3.