BBC Pidgin of Friday, 16 April 2021

Source: BBC

Obaseki reply FG claims on Nigerian economy say 'make we stop to dey play di ostrich'

Combination foto of Edo govnor Obaseki and Minister of Finance Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed Combination foto of Edo govnor Obaseki and Minister of Finance Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed

Edo State Govnor, Godwin Obaseki don ask federal goment make dem stop to dey play ‘ostrich’ and take steps to end di current monetary rascality wey di kontri currently dey battle.

He tok am to respond to claims by di kontri Minister of Finance say Nigeria no dey owe gbese wey pass dia sustainable limits.

Oga Obaseki tok for tweet say as we no wan join issues wit di Federal Ministry of Finance, we believe say na our duty to offer useful advice for di benefit of our kontri.

“Di Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Madam Zainab Ahmed should rally Nigerians to stem di obvious financial kasala wey dey face our kontri.

Rather than to dey play di Ostrich, we beg di government to take urgent steps to end di current monetary rascality, make dem for prevent di prevailing economic challenge to dey worse than e be.

We believe e dey important to approach di Nigerian project wit all sense of responsibility and commitment and no be to dey play to di gallery because las-las, time go be di judge of us all.” Na so Obaseki tok.

Wetin Minister of Finance Zainab Ahmed tok?

Gov. Godwin Obaseki bin raise alarm ontop di Nigeria’ financial position for one conference wia im tok say di kontri Central Bank, CBN print about N60 billion to augment allocation wey dem states dey share for di months of March.

“Wen we get Federal Allocation for March, di Federal Government print additional N50-N60 billion to top-up for us to share.

“Dis April, we go go Abuja and share. By di end of dis year, our total borrowings don dey within N15-N16 trillion,” Na so im tok.

But di Hon. Minister of Finance, Budget & National Planning, Mrs. Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed during one Federal executive say e no dey true say dem print N60 billion more money for state allocation.

She also tok say di “Nigerian debt still dey within sustainable limits”.

She say wetin di kontri need do na to improve dia revenue and make dia capacity to service not only debt obligation but also service di need of running government on a day to day basis.

“Our debt currently dey at 23 percent GDP and e still dey under sustainable level”. She tok.