By James Moses (9News Nigeria -Jos)
Vice President, Senator Kashim Shettima has raised alarm that some unscrupulous people are working to undermine the efforts of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s adminitration to revamp the Nigerian economy.
The Vice President disclosed this at the Public Wealth Management Conference, in Abuja on Tuesday pointed accusing fingers at smugglers and politicians as the brains behind the attempt to pull the nation backward.
He disclosed that 45 trucks loaded with maize were intercepted while making their way to neighbouring countries at midnight on Sunday.
Açcording to him: “Just three nights ago 45 trucks of maize were caught being transported to neighbouring countries, just in that Ilella axis, there are 32 illegal smuggling routes and the moment those food stuffs were intercepted, the price maize came down by N10,000. It came down from N60,000 to N50,000.
“So, there are forces that are hell- bent on undermining our nation, but this is the time for us to coalesce into a single entity.
“We have to make this country work. We have to move beyond politics. We are now in the face of governance.
“Sadly, some of our countrymen are still on the political mode. They are the practitioners of violence, advocating that Nigeria should go the Lebanon way. But, Nigeria is greater than any of us here. Nigeria will weather the storm.
“Forces are hell-bent on plugging this country into a state of anarchy. Those who could not get to power through the ballot box, instead of waiting till 2027, are so desperate”, he lamented.
Speaking further, he admitted that Nigerians were passing through challenges and appeal for patience, as he expressed confidence that things would soon change for the better.
Earlier in his address, the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Wale Edun, disclosed that the Federal Government would audit the N23 trillion Ways and Means.
Ways and Means is the expression for money borrowed by the Federal Government from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)
-9News Nigeria.