PAGE 10 — SUNDAY Vanguard, OCTOBER 6, 2013
Calls for finance minister’s resignation
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or-die”. Suddenly, there are no more restraints on what members of the opposing camps will do to each other, and who they will hurt and for the most indefensible reasons. Okonjo-Iweala is one of my favourite Ministers in this administration. Notwithstanding the fact that I wrote an article, on these pages, welcoming her, while warning her about the booby traps, in the polity, that might make her return most unpleasant. And two months ago, I wrote a column wondering when she would quit. I was almost certain she would not last the distance – 2015. Now she faces the prospects of being humiliated out of office. Irrespective of how it happens, the Finance Minister has met her Waterloo; failure stares her in the face. Unfortunately, she would have been hounded out for developments which are largely beyond her control. She has few supporters because she had also allowed too much politics, and insufficient economics, to dictate her public utterances. So, this call for resignation is not entirely fair to the Finance Minister. Dr Okonjo-Iweala had nothing to do with the failure of the 2013 budget – which was defective right from the first day – especially after the National Assembly got through amending it. Let me explain the major problem by pointing to the revenue stream since January this year. The Federal Gov-
Education is the key "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."-- Nelson Mandela MY father often tells my siblings and I, that "education is not an inheritance, any one can’t take away from you once you have it, ". I agree, but the sad reality is that in Nigeria the young are deliberately and systematically denied the opportunity to have an education. So between the poor leadership, to corrupt officials, Boko Haram insurgency, the abject poverty and the ASUU strike, the young are in dire situation. The politicians and religious figures blare on that Nigeria has got something to crow about which we know is far from the truth. More than 40 million Nigerians are unemployed, that's astounding and unmtigating disaster. The national unemployment rate for university graduates is 23.9 percent; the unemployed young numbers over 20.3 million; and the poverty rate stands at 71.5 percent. These figures, I am sure, is a conservative esti-
mate as many more young people are not in training and education. These young people are been denied their birthright and a future. That is what we are doing to our future. Should we not wish our young a better future than ours? Education is so important to the recovery of our country and though the majority of our nation are sliding back into the abyss, Osun State is steaming ahead by distributing its elearning tablet called the tablet of knowledge, the OPON IMO. These tablets are to being distributed to all secondary school students to assist with their learning. These innovation and investment will pay untold dividend and the difference will unfold in the academic acumen of the recipients of the tablets. The Project Manager of OPON IMO, Mr. Sam Omoruyi,said: "The plan is to distribute 600 tablets of the device everyday and with the approach adopted by the distributing team, the distribution of the tablets would have been complet-
ernment had budgeted for monthly revenue amounting to N702 billion per month for 2013. Yet in only one month, from January to July, had the actual revenue reached or exceeded that amount. Revenue for the first seven months and the variances generated were as follows, January N621b (-81); February N571b (-131), March
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“Members of the Nigerian Governors Forum [Amaechi’s group] have called on the Minister of Finance, who is also the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, to resign if she knew she would not be able to adhere strictly with the Appropriation Act, 2013. PUNCH, September 18, 2013, p 18. N 2008, I wrote two articles titled “WHEN GENIUS FAILS”. The first was about the former Director-General of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, Dr Ndidi Onyuike warning about the imminent collapse of the Stock Exchange that year. It happened as predicted. The second was related to the crisis in the banking sector even as Professor Soludo was pretending that all was well with the banks. Today, everybody knows better. Where are OCEANIC, INT E R C O N T I N E N TA L , BANK PHB etc today? This article also might have been titled “WHEN GENIUS FAILS -3” and it would have been appropriate because the Federal Minister of Finance is no longer the highly respected figure she was in 2003-2005. Her return is shaping out to be some sort of personal disaster for her for many reasons – mostly political. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the former World Bank Managing Director is set to be among the next victims of Nigerian politics – now based on former President Obasanjo’s template of “do-
would hold the Executive Director for Finance responsible if sales and gross revenue are far below target; the blame belongs to the Marketing people. Those shifting the blame to Dr Ngozi are probably doing so because they realize that Jonathan has an untouchable in the cabinet. So, they are blaming the victim. And, by God, Okonjo-Iweala is the victim this time around. She is holding the “cow” while others are milking the cow dry. What a pity! Unfortunately, the Finance Minister had also provided her antagonists with ammunition for shooting at her. At her Press Conference on Wednesday, September 18, 2013, she an-
Those shifting the blame to Dr Ngozi are probably doing so because they realize that Jonathan has an untouchable in the cabinet. So, they are blaming the victim
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N595b (-107), April N621b (-81), May N590b (-112), June N863b (+161) and July N498b (-204). Altogether, there was a revenue shortfall of N686b in the first seven months alone. As Governor Uduaghan of Delta State had said in a televised defence of the Finance Minister, she is not responsible for revenue generation; all the other bases of revenue – NNPC, FIRS, Customs etc are the culprits; NNPC being the number one accused. Neither Shell, nor DANGOTE Group, nor anyone else
nounced that “The economy is doing reasonably well...In agriculture where we are seeing results, we have seen that 2.5 million seasonal and full time jobs have been created”. That was unfortunate; because she had once again become a victim of the BIG LIE peddled by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture – whose Minister had been making these claims without substantiating them. I had, on three different occasions, challenged “my brother ” Dr Adewunmi to provide us with the breakdown of the
ed by the first week of November."And furthermore he added that "no government had ever done such a thing, it would put the students of Osun State ahead of their peers across the country". Rauf Aregbesola has laid down a strong foundation for education in Osun State; other states will do well to emulate him. Better
tary organization that I have been avidly following and it so heartening that even in the midst of chaos and deprivation , that 1GAME is paving the way to get education to areas where it is mostly needed. 1 GAME founder, Philip Obaji rightfully believes that education defeats violence and that it is necessary that education paves a positive alternative for those who otherwise are denied and as result, their outcome is very predictable ;leaving a life of poverty, deprivation, resentment and crimes. They do say that a devil finds work for idle hands. That is so true in this case. Education is the solution to the cause and effect of the ills that plagues our society at least in many parts and it could go a long way to tackle and address the violence ravaging the nation. The 1 GAME founder, Philip Obaji spoke so eloquently that education defeats violence and that leads to a destructive and violent path. I cannot agree more where the campaign did a baseline survey they discovered that 90% of those that pick up arms had no basic education. I am sure if they were given an opportunity to learn they would not perpetuate a life of crime and destruction. In a recent donation of books, pens and reading materials ,galvanized many parents to register
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Although, we have had nothing of note to celebrate of late, the incessant killings have added poignancy to the plight of many innocent and defenseless Nigerians
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still, other states should be demanding why their Governor cannot do likewise. They have no excuse; after all Rauf has paved the way and shows it can be done. Education is simply the soul of a society as it passes from one generation to another. ~G.K. Chesterton The 1 GAME campaign is an incredible innovative and humanitarian volun-
THE MANY LIES OF MALAM RIBADU ON IBORI BRIBE. “Liars ought to have good memories”, Algernon Sidney, 1622-1683, (VANGUARD BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 127).
Malam Ribadu, the former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, was in the news again last week – in a London Court where an Ibori trial was in progress. And he made statements which could be admitted in evidence by the court. Before quoting Ribadu and providing contrary evidence to that which the witness made in court, let me make one point clear. I am not holding brief for Ibori. Sufficient evidence had been produced in court to establish the fact that Ibori embezzled a lot of public funds. There is also the court of public opinion which holds the view that Ibori was the person earlier convicted in Nigeria – even when a Nigerian court ruled otherwise. But, I am guided by one principle in my writings on this page and it was handed to me by Malvin Kalb, one of America’s greatest journalists when he wrote: “A journalist should be pursuing a fair rendition of truth without regard to popular moods; the journalist should not be swayed by public opinion..” (BOOK OF QUOTATIONS p 109). . I am not a journalist. Like an Area Boy, I entered journalism through the back door. I am only going to present the truth – which will shock Ribadu and the readers. If I am one of Ibori’s lawyers, at the court in London, I will ask the court to expunge all of Ribadu’s testimony because it is tainted with untruths….. P.S. The articles on Nigerian Universities will continue but have been shifted to the EDUCATION pages of VANGUARD on Thursdays. Please join me there henceforth. It is in everybody’s interest. Thanks for reading our paper.
their children in school in Gombe, now that is so powerful . They were due to follow suit in Yobe but are unable to do so , because of the latest murders of young people at the agriculture college. 1GAME is blazing the trail and I hope, people will support and contribute to the cause. When someone says it can't be done, it can and it has been done so, what are their excuses? One life is too many and to die the way these young men died was beyond the realms of imagination. The attacks have been unrelenting that of the week's odious attack in Benisheikh, where more than 160 people were shot and slaughtered, then attacks in Yobe that left more than fifty innocent students and civilians killed. These murderers are psychopathic criminals. They have no justifiable cause that warrants the spilling of the blood of defenseless and innocent people. There is no justification for the level of anarchy that goes unabated in these areas and contrary to what some people say; it affects the whole of Nigeria. The country has been held to ransom for so long by the group of people hell bent on spending fear, abductions, depravity, intimidation and chaos. Even the present administration has fled to the safe confines of the Rock to celebrate a low key independence day and the Eagle square? , well,
that has not been an independence march past there for the last three years. What is the message that is filtering through to the ordinary man on the street? That even the government is fearful and they cannot assure the safety of its citizens. The government has not done enough to protect its citizens and the whole world knows that. They are united that it is about time that Nigeria acted and acted decisively too. Although, we have had nothing of note to celebrate of late, the incessant killings have added poignancy to the plight of many innocent and defenseless Nigerians. THE United Nations and the United States of America have lent their voices and concerns to this latest murders that the President act resolutely. The US asked the Nigerian government "to find and bring those responsible for this deplorable violence to justice." and the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, in a statement from the UN Secretariat, called for the "the perpetrators to be swiftly brought to justice." The US has" encouraged the Government of Nigeria to work together with the families of the victims and affected communities to find and bring those responsible for this deplorable violence to justice, and to enhance the protection of civilians to ensure respect for the rule of law."
2.5 million jobs, state by state, person by person for verification without receiving a reply. It is doubly unfortunate that the Minister had to rely, first on a rumour to declare that Nigeria’s “economy is doing reasonably well”; secondly, Dr Ngozi would be the first to admit that using one index to determine the health of a modern complex economy, and not its most important, is at best political; and at worst intellectual dishonesty. She has not done her reputation any credit. Just as if the “gods” are really angry with the Minister, the next day Governor Amaechi of Rivers State exclaimed that his state had not received its July allocation in full. No state had received full allocation of revenue. Also next day, Dr Christopher Kolade, Chairman of SURE-P was announcing that the programme was behind in its payments to the participants in the programme. Surely, an economy which is doing reasonably well should be able to pay its bills – as and when due. This economy increasingly is not. The Minister is beginning to sound like the Financial Director who keeps assuring all the stakeholders that all is well with their company even as the liquidators are banging on the door. In the end, if care is not taken, the Finance Minister, who is not responsible for the mess we are in, will be ruined by two enemies – the political opposition and herself.