Nigerian Economic Society Congratulates Edo Governor-Elect, Okpebholo On Election Victory

…Charge him to use only real Economists for economic functions

By Simeon OSAJIE

The Nigeria Economic Society (NES), Edo State Chapter have congratulated Senator Monday Okpebholo, Edo State Governor-Elect on his victory at the poll.

In a congratulatory message signed by the Chairman, Dr. Francis Ilenloa. Igberaese, FMNES; ABRM, and the Secretary, Prof. Friday Ovenseri-Ogbomo, Ph.D., FMNES, on behalf of all economists in the state, they stated that it is very clear at this time that God, in His infinite mercy has decided to raise someone to attend to the “Economics of the Poor”, starting from agriculture and its value chain to full prosperity of the people, which are still yearning for adequate attention despite the efforts of various past governments.

The statement added that the Nigerian Economic Society, Edo State Chapter wish to suggest that it is high time Edo State made the sound development policies that are pro-poor and anti-poverty, instead of pro-poverty and anti-poor policies, which past governments, knowingly or unknowing, have engaged in overtime.

The stated that only problem Edo State has is the employment of non-economists to do the jobs of trained economists. “Permit us to bring to your attention that the problem we have had with economic policies in Edo State has been the absence of real (qualified) economists in governments but men who are at best, pseudo economists, claiming to be the economists. It has been unfortunate that anybody who finds himself in government turns an accidental and emergency economist, mistaking his mere ideas to be economic policies”.

They further stated that it was high time we have departed from those absurdities called growth policies that are not sympathetic with the poor.

“It is high time we led our people away from the intergenerational transmission of poverty to sustainable economic prosperity. It is time we created the real jobs and generated the income without the clouding out tax policies of government’s overtime. It is time we based our growth and development policies on research outcomes. It is time we laced our development policies with “spread effects” instead of the unfortunate “backwash effects…

“So, we submit in humility that, it is high time the government employed the oriental economists, the real experts and real economic technocrats who fully understand where we stand in the global development matrix and answer the global destiny question of sensitivity, not those ruthless business profiteers who are supposed to be recipients of economic policies but given the infamous opportunities overtime to make the new orthodoxy end in “Reaganomics” and “Thatcherism”. We believe this is why God has specially chosen the Edo State Governor (which has found expression in you) to dismantle the “Economics of the Marauders”.

The statement assures the Edo Governor elect that the Nigerian Economic Society, Edo State Chapter, which is made up of seasoned and trained economists under the current leadership of Dr. Francis Ilenloa Igberaese, is prepared to join hands with your government to implement policies that would lead to an egalitarian and prosperous society, which could become a model for other sub-national governments and even the national government. We assure you that with us as your policymakers, other governors would soon come to understudy your government.