Daily Independent Online.
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Thursday, July 01, 2004.
Saraki canvasses debt forgiveness for Nigeria
By Dele Moses
Special
Correspondent, Ilorin
Kwara
State Governor Bukola Saraki has said that Nigeria deserved to be forgiven of
her debts in view of the exemplary role she has been playing in the West Africa
sub-region.
Speaking
with reporters on the outcome of his recent trip to USA in Ilorin on Tuesday,
Saraki regretted that the burden of servicing the debt has hindered
government’s efforts at providing adequate basic amenities which,
according to him, are needed to attract Nigerians abroad to invest at home.
He
said that Nigeria, given the facts that she has made commendable efforts at
resisting despotic rules and installing democratic rule in a number of
countries in West Africa, merited cancellation of her debts.
Saraki
contended that if countries, such as Iraq, among others, could have their debts
cancelled because they changed from despotic to civil rule, Nigeria, which has
abandoned autocratic rule for democracy, ought to have had an outright
cancellation of her debts.
He
appealed to the advanced economies for outright cancellation of the country’s
foreign debt to enable the nation move forward socially and economically.
The
governor said that during his trip, he discovered that many rich Nigerians
abroad are willing to invest home but they are being scared of insecurity and
lack of basic amenities at home.
He
said his trip, which was at the instance of top Kwara State indigenes in North
America, offered him opportunity to achieve a number of plans with Kwarans in
the state of Georgia and few other states on how to foster socio-economic
development of Kwara State.
He
said some of them showed interest to invest in cashew nut processing and
establishment of vocational training centres in the state. He said the cashew
nut processing will produce 10metric tons per hour and will provide employment
for 1,000 people, adding that promises of assistance in health, clean and green
programme, agriculture, computer and other businesses were received from the
indigenes. According to him, some of them who signified interest to invest,
requested for participation in state housing programme on mortgage basis.
