Atiku Meets Dangote, Otedola, Jim Ovia, Elumelu, Others In Lagos

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, met with some business leaders and stakeholders in the country.

The former Vice President met with the business leaders under the aegis of Business Dialogue Stakeholders Forum at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island in Lagos on Saturday.

Atiku met with some leaders of the business world including Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Jim Ovia, Femi Otedola, Tony Elumelu, Herbert Wigwe, Oba Otudeko, Aig-Imoukhuede, and Muhammad Hayatudeen among others.

Speaking at the event, Atiku promised to go after oil thieves and their accomplices, saying that they will be prosecuted no matter how highly placed in the country if he takes power in 2023.

The PDP flagbearer also vowed to confiscate all oil blocs allocated to some Nigerians who had failed to make them operational in the interest of national development.

“If you are not going to develop oil blocs given to you, we will take it away and give it to those who will develop it. We will also assemble the names of those involved in oil theft, publish same and prosecute them,” he said.

On his plans to boost the oil and gas sector, Atiku noted that under the administration of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, the quota of oil production was earmarked for an increase to four million barrels per day.

That plan, he explained, would be resuscitated and sustained beyond the projected figure, when he is voted into office next year, pointing out that in order to do this successfully, the Petroleum Industry Act and any other enabling law would be invoked.

“When we were in government, we started this process. However, there were hiccups. We were unable to pass the legislation to encourage IOCs to partake in the sector. We will go back to where we started,” he said.

He added that the Brass and Olokola LNG projects, started under the Obasanjo administration would be given more attention under him.

Atiku reiterated his commitment to privatising the refineries in Kaduna, Port Harcourt, and Warri, to enhance the functionality of the facilities.

The former Vice President also promised to turn to fiscal challenges of FOREX, monetary policy, and the N20 trillion way and means balance facing the country.

He said in order to stabilise the FOREX regime loopholes in oil, production would be blocked, emphasising that he would encourage local production and “not control of public expenditure.”

Atiku said, “I believe that we should have a FOREX policy that allows a convergence. I don’t believe in a multiple FOREX policy that currently applies.

“Dollarisation or otherwise of the Nigerian economy depends on the strength or weakness of our economy. If we strengthen our economy, you don’t need the dollar. The naira can be strengthened by the number of jobs created and exports.”