Soyinka Calls On Buhari To Convene Emergency Conference To Save The Economy

Worried by the decline in the nation’s economy, especially the fall of the Naira, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately convene an emergency economic conference to enable experts brainstorm on the way forward on how to save the economy.

The Nobel Laureate made the call when he paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Information and Culture, Alh. Lai Mohammed in Abuja on Thursday.

Soyinka said the conference is necessary to enable experts diagnose the problems facing the country and to make necessary recommendation for government to get the economy out of the woods. His words:

"I agree with those who say the economy is bad. It is obvious and it is so bad. We really need an emergency economic conference, bringing experts together to match the nation forward. 

I think the economy is not encouraging. Quite frankly, I think most economists will agree with this. 

[But] the economic condition of a nation does not deteriorate over night, something came before that deterioration. A certain prolonged process of attrition that happened in the past is now knocking on the door. 

The consequences of the past misgovernance is what we are undergoing right now."

Prof Soyinka said the government can overcome the mistakes of the past that has led the economy to the sorry state it is today, if President Buhari can meet with sincere economists and fashion a way out.