Henry Boyo, a pragmatic economist, has died –a huge loss to a serially unappreciative Nigeria. He sang an alternative economic tune to the standard economic songs and practices which have largely ruined the naira and decimated the expected indices of growth including having over $100b in foreign reserves. I am not an economist but a medical doctor and ‘social commentator’. We shared to same sane song of economics. It was relief and a pleasure to see him, always the outsider, like me, telling the horse riders how better to direct the economic horse of state. It was disgustingly nauseating to many, including him and myself, when the erring and disappointing governors finally admitted, we were right, and they were economically incompetent and wrong not to save, as advised by many, including the then multiple minister of the economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Our current travails are largely a result of the 1999-2015 profligacy and corruption at federal and state level with maximum bipartisan guilt. It gives him academic vindication. Ideally, Henry Boyo’s papers and publications should be compiled and set against the economic mistakes of the times. His mission of economic enlightenment fell on too many deaf ears and blocked minds, but his mission is accomplished.  He cannot be blamed for a deaf country. May Henry Boyo Rest In Perfect Peace.

‘Our current travails are largely a result of the 1999-2015 profligacy and corruption at federal and state level with maximum bipartisan guilt. It gives him academic vindication’

Bart Nnaji; what happened to him? It is now 40 years after a 3,000Mw failed grid tipped us on the path of permanent 3,000Mw failure. ‘The experts’ are still ‘talking’ power sector reform around the supply, transmission, distribution, privatization, recapitalization debacle as well as poor meter cover and criminally ‘over-estimated billing’ with a near zero sustainable green energy component though we have a God-given sun at our service. Bart Nnaji, a minister of power who made power work so well within three months that he was removed in what the citizens believe was brilliance and honesty driven ‘too-know’ and ‘over-performance’? He was too good for the greedy petroleum cartel which keeps Nigeria dependent on fuel-guzzling generators making us the shamefaced ‘Generator Generation’. Please recall Bart Nnaji to bipartisan national service.

Smart Adeyemi, APC, wins the senatorial seat over a very forgettable someone whose claim to infamy includes animalistic antics and undistinguished dancing disaster moves, banal songs and disgraceful display of wasteful wealth through acquisition of a fleet of nauseatingly exotic sports cars flaunted like a red flag before the bull of Nigeria’s mega-poverty.  We have lost a lot cerebrally and must demand serious forward-looking leadership politics from ‘Smart’. Amen! What does this mean to the party seats balance of power?

Kara Bridge. Federal government reopens Lagos – Ibadan diversion at Kara Bridge with one half completed ‘because of the festive season’, not ‘because of the citizens’! Shame!!! A guarded ‘Hurray’ but no ‘thank you’. Our ‘thank you’ has been swallowed up in the unimaginably delays and actual physical and mental agony and suffering inflicted on us and the one we will still suffer including the increasing ‘Kara Bridge Axis Robbery’ as the needed police will withdraw to celebrate Christmas. Abi no be so?  We shall all be ‘seeing is believing’ after such unlimited suffering. They say the Lagos entry is completed and the Lagos exit will be completed in 2020. But did they smoothen the Lagos exit to tide us into 2020 or is it business as usual ‘roforofo’ bad road? Nigerians, nobody loves you. How much does it cost to smoothen over one kilometre of potholes to give millions of travellers and tens of thousands a smooth Christmas? When will the ministry of transport say to Nigerians ‘We wish you a smooth season’?

Read Also: Good night, Henry Boyo

Which Nigerians receiving national honours ruined us? Remember we still do not know which Nigerians held meetings to strip the third lane and the multiple amenity spots and lighting from the original Lagos – Ibadan Expressway plan approved by General Gowon. We still do not know which Nigerians held meetings to divert toll funds supposed to be used for maintenance. We still do not know which Nigerians held meetings which refused to allow ‘maintenance as and when due’ on that and 100 other decrepit roads across Nigeria. Then we had money and naira was naira! Those Nigerians who held those meetings which authorised these illegal deeds are sleeping happily, and un-accused, with their loot watching the debacle on the expressway caused by their actions on TV. We still do not know which Nigerians held meetings allowing thousands of axle-breaking overweight trailers to exit Apapa and Tin Can only to de-stabilise bridges and gauge out huge car-crashing tracks on the expressway.

Which Nigerians held meetings making sure the East – West Road is still not completed? Which Nigerians held meetings to remove history, geography, maintenance of roads and buildings of all types, bursaries, scholarships, pensions, salaries as-and-when-due from the lives of suffering and aspirational Nigerians, young and old? Which Nigerians held meetings ensuring the removal of ‘practicals’ including sports equipment, books in libraries, chemicals and equipment for science studies in chemistry and physics and biology, art equipment, technical and machinery parts and carpentry tools in schools and tech institutes?

‘Which Nigerians will hold meetings’ to restore these to the lives of Nigerians? Governors who have serially failed with their resources since 1999 to make their states successful, must break out of their stereotypical kleptomaniacal mould of non-performance and shine or we are doomed to Dubai watching instead of Dubai walking!