Yemi Osinbajo |
the acting President, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, on Thursday, said
the present administration was committed to ensuring that the Federal
Government and Nigerians patronised locally made products.
To this end, he said Nigerians must eat and drink Nigerian
products at state banquets.
Osinbajo said this at an interactive session he had with top
government officials on the ease of doing business, at the old Banquet Hall of
the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He said the government would work out some incentives for
performance by building a reward system that punishes malfeasance.
He said preference must be given to indigenous providers of
goods and services to strengthen the system.
Osinbajo said, “I agree that a system of rewarding
performance and punishing malfeasance is key. We must work out incentive
schemes even as we tighten up sanction regimes.
“We hit 70 per cent quickly on the 60 days of ease of doing
business target because of the cooperation of all the agencies like the
ministries of interior, immigrations, customs etc and that is why the remaining
30 per cent we will also achieve and deliver. I will hold myself accountable
for it and I will also hold you accountable.
“Usually, we blame the system. But the system is men and
women, not machines. So, we can and must reform it. These proposed executive
orders present a unique opportunity to perform. Ladies and gentlemen, let us
perform.
“The President has laid out a cornerstone policy of this
administration. We must grow what we eat and make what we use. The President
again enunciated this principle in the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan…Buy
Nigerian, Use Nigerian.
“So, we must now insist that at state banquets, we eat and
drink Nigerian.”
The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu
Enelamah, said the government was working on moving up 20 places in the ranking
on ease of doing business this year, saying this must start with consuming
Nigerian products.
The stipulated executive order, as enumerated in a document
presented by the minister, stated that all ministries, departments or agencies
of the Federal Government shall grant preference to local manufacturers of
goods and service providers in their procurement of goods and services.
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