Nigeria is in big trouble, we need to discuss with Buhari - Senator

Bayelsa state Senatorial rep,

In an interview withVanguard, Bruce said this is one of the reasons Senators need to meet with President Muhammadu Buhari when he returns to discuss the problems facing the country.

“Nigeria has not really made any progress in the last two years. I think we are in big trouble right now. When the president gets back, we would need to sit down with him and have a conversation. There is no point having a conversation with anybody who is not a president,” he said.

Continuing, he said: “I am thinking the senate. We will have a conversation. A bipartisan team will go and meet with Mr President and have a conversation with him. Not APC senators meeting the president but the senate meeting him and have a conversation on the future of Nigeria. That’s what I am going to propose. That we sit down with him and discuss the issues. He’s the president and you can’t change that and I respect constitutional authority.

“He is the president of Nigeria and we will sit down with him and discuss the problems facing the country. In 2019 when there is another president, that will no another issue. But right now, he is the president and we need to sit down with him and discuss the issues. I understand he will be here next week.

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“Let’s talk to the president directly. I think it is important to speak with President Buhari. All the issues affecting the country. This is my proposal. I am going to sit down with the senate president and say, look, let’s sit down with the president. He’s not an APC president. He’s president of Nigeria. So, I don’t want say APC governors, senators seeing him. He should see Nigeria not APC. This is what I am going to request, hopefully, it will be granted and we are going to have a conversation."

Bruce also said everything about the current state of the country agitates him as the economy is in trouble with inflation and unemployment on the rise.

He said: “Everything agitates my mind. The economy is in trouble, there is inflation, unemployment, schools; every year, a million kids cannot go to school. Automobile policy of Nigeria is 1922 policy. Mass transit policy is 1825. Our educational policy is 1942 policy. Are you kidding?

“I don’t want to accuse anybody but previous governments did a lousy job. You have an educational policy set up by the colonial masters, have you changed that? Do you have a policy on power, health? Name one rich man who does not send his child, or himself to be treated abroad. You spend millions of naira in Ghana every year on education. You have the health stories in India. So, what is going right? That has to be dealt with. We need to discuss it. I am not a critic, not here to run down anybody but I have a solution to our problem.”

Ben Bruce, a PDP senator is the Chairman and CEO of the Silverbird Group.