The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said that his restructuring agenda is hinged on efficiency in government.
Atiku, according to statement by his Media Adviser, Paul Ibe, stated this at the 24th Lecture Series of the Lagos Business School, in Lagos on Tuesday.
Atiku said he would reach out to the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly to come up with constitutional amendments that will give more powers and resources to states and local governments.
According to the statement, Atiku, who was a keynote speaker in a panel question and answer session, said that he believes in small government and that the private sector should be given the opportunity to play more roles in the economy.
He said: “As Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between 1999 and 2007, I headed the economic team that implemented fundamental economic reforms, including the design and implementation of a private sector revival strategy.
“We focused on macro-economic stability and transforming critical areas such as banking, insurance, oil and gas, telecommunications, pension and the civil service.
“We created novel institutions for laying the foundation for good governance and accountability such as the Bureau of Public Procurement, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and SERVICOM.
“With many years in the private sector, I have a deep understanding of our economy and its challenges.”
The PDP presidential flag bearer noted that the five-point agenda of his policy proposal is a document that contains the solution to the many challenges besetting the country.
“I am an active operator in the private sector. I am a manufacturer, service provider and an educationist. So I have first-hand experience of what the private sector needs and I also have experience in governance.
“The PDP economic reforms recorded significant achievements between 1999 and 2015. Now, you have seen the impact of the people that took over from us. Nigerians can pick between the two.
“If you give the PDP another opportunity, we will perform even better than we did before,” Atiku said.