2023: Olawepo-Hashim Advises Nigerians on Choice of President

A chieftain of the ruling party, All Progressive Congress (APC), Mr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, yesterday   said for  Nigerians  experience  positive changes in their lives and in the country, they must not choose the next president from amongst those who have made a career of living on government since 1999.

Speaking in Lagos yesterday, the former presidential candidate argued that some of those who have stayed too long in the status quo have become part of the corrupt system, and it is an illusion to expect “corruption to fight corruption.”

According to him,  a corrupt individual/system cannot fight corruption, noting that the nation needs a clean break from its ugly past to remove  the heavy rod of rot off  its back in order to move forward.  “Either in the APC or Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) or any other party, those whose only job has been to change from one government office to another and have never done any other productive thing apart from squandering government money, driving convoys of cars around that they do not fuel themselves, escorted by security paid for by Government, are far removed from the true realities of Nigeria, and are therefore incapable of comprehending the urgency and depth of transformation Nigeria needs. “I laugh when I read about someone who has never set up even a barber shop in his or her life promising young people employment. These are people who do not even understand how businesses run,” he said.

He explained that  the  solution to national security challenges, the unemployment problem, high cost of petroleum products and basic items requires new approach to handle, noting that those who have never paid for anything they consume in the past 23 years cannot understand.

Olawepo-Hashim disclosed that one of the things that attracted him to the APC is the President Muhammadu Buhari’s belief that corruption must be crushed in Nigeria.

“But sadly, corruption has become one of the major reasons for the slow progress, and the underbelly of some of the nation’s security problems such as banditry and kidnappings. Nigeria loses a lot to corruption. According to Price Water Cooper (PWC), a global consulting outfit, if not arrested by 2030, corruption will be costing Nigeria 37 per cent of her GDP; i.e. $200 billion, a whooping N100 trillion, about 15  times our national budget”.

“This will translate to $1,000 per capital; 500,000 by each Nigerian. The significance of this on our lives, in terms of avoidable death is staggering.”

The APC chieftain, who is set to make his official declaration for the presidential contest before the end of this month, promised to release to Nigerians his perspectives on important matters they want answers to in  terms of security, jobs, availability and affordability of petroleum products, stable electricity supply, how to tackle corruption, health, education and  infrastructure.