Nigeria Economic Society (NES) yesterday took a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari on his appointment, saying those in his economic team are not professionals.
According to Professional Economists, the engagement of novice in managing the economy explained why the nation’s economy was nose-diving, adding that it was very wrong in the first place to exclude qualified and knowledgeable economists in the National Economic Management Team (NEMT).
Speaking in Abuja on the exclusion of economists in the National Economic Management Team by President Muhammadu Buhari during a visit on the Senate Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, the President of NES, Professor Sarah Anyanwu, said that with the exclusion of NEC members from NEMT, the nation’s economy has been nose-diving.
Professor Anyanwu said, “ Members of the Nigeria Economic Society ( NES), had in the past included in the National Economic Management Team for the required professional advice and guidance on whatever economic policy to be adopted by the Federal Government.
“The practice assisted past government in making sound economic policies required by circumstances or situations on ground.
“But the exclusion of economists in the National Economic Tram under the present administration has glaringly shown the adverse effects on the economy which by those who can read the indices and indicators correctly, is nose-diving.
“Our exclusion from the NEMT is seriously making the Nation’s economy to be unstable and somewhat directionless”.
Angered by her submission, the Senate Minority Minority Leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe, said that they were not surprised at the parlous state of the nation’s economy.
According to him, “ We are not surprised that the economy went into recession and moving towards that direction again, since as disclosed here, required knowledge from the experts are not even sought for”.
He, however, assured the NES members that expeditious consideration will be given to their bill, already before both Chambers of the National Assembly.