The interview of Prof. Kingsley Moghalu with JOY ANIGBOGU on his plans for Nigerians when elected, among other issues.Without Restructuring, There Will Be No Progress – Moghalu
Looking at your opponents like President Muhammadu Buhari, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and the rest of them, one wonders, even with your age advantage, whether you can stand them. How do you think you defeat them in the coming election?
The people of Nigeria need something different, something new. Why do they want it? They want it because it is clear even to the blind man that the recycled old politicians have failed. That is why Nigeria is the poverty capital of the world today. How do we reward those people responsible for our poverty with election to the office of Presidency? The time has come for someone who has a vision for Nigeria such as I do. The time has come for someone with a plan to execute the plan, such as I do. I am someone who has a vision. Someone who has a plan like me will defeat President Buhari, Atiku Abubakar and the other candidates because I have a superior message.
We have a ground game. We have been talking to citizens at the grassroots, across the rural communities in about 30 states of the federation since February this year when I announced my quest for the Presidency. This is not an ambition for me, it is a vision. I am a man with a vision and a mission for Nigeria.
What would you bring to the table if elected President of Nigeria?
I will be bringing to the table knowledge, experience, leadership and vision on how to build a nation, which I did in the United Nations for 17 years building, re-fixing broken societies like Cambodia, Croatia, Rwanda. Nigeria today is not a nation. It is a country and a broken country. I know how to build nations. Nigeria needs to become a nation. I come to the table with experience, expertise and a track record of success in economic leadership, economic management.
I was a Deputy Governor of the Central Bank. I have written books on economic transformation that have been found useful worldwide. I have the practical experience, conceptual and economic knowledge of how to turn Nigeria from a poor country to a country where the average citizen will be taken out of poverty, over four years or eight years. I come to the table with knowledge, experience and track record of international diplomacy, there is no other candidate who has the combination of experience and that is exactly what Nigeria needs in 2019.
What is your view on the Social Intervention Programme (SIP) of the Federal Government?
It is a citadel to waste and corruption. When I become President what will happen is that we are going to pull N500 billion from the budget and place it in a new N1 trillion capital venture fund which is to be for private public partnership. The reason for the venture capital fund is that venture capital creates wealth around the world. It will bring businesses to millions of young unemployed people. I will bring inventors and innovators because I am going to move Nigeria’s economy, independent of oil towards an innovation driven economy. This is why I am saying, what is the economic effect of social intervention fund? The answer is nothing. It is used to award contracts to APC cronies and they are making wild claims about chasing away poverty. We know the truth and the truth will set us free.
When I become President, you will see how an economy can be run profitably for the people, but not just profitable for politicians, but for all citizens. The political industrial complex is the biggest business in town and that will end when I get to Aso Rock.