The Nation Newspaper

Category: Abuja Review

  • PDP’s reward for Jonathan

    Just like the experiences in the past regimes in Nigeria’s history, President Goodluck Jonathan is not only being asked to contest the 2015 Presidential election, but he has also been declared sole Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).,

    The PDP Governors’ Forum and the Board of Trustees (BoT), on Wednesday last week, followed by the National Executive Committee of the party on Thursday endorsed him as the sole presidential candidate of the party.

    Jonathan was said to have delayed declaring his ambition to run for re-election because he was busy brainstorming and marshaling out strategies to deliver his 2011 campaign promises to Nigerians.,

    The lingering security challenges, the abduction of the over 200 girls from Government Girls’ Secondary School Chibok in Borno State and the recent importation of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) into the country, among other issues, were said to have robbed the President the right atmosphere to declare his ambition before now.

    The Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees (BoT), Chief Tony Anenih, had, a year ago, challenged him to make his intentions known to Nigerians latest by October, last year.

    But now, almost a year after the call and few months to the February, 2015 election, Jonathan has accepted the sole candidacy offered him by the party.

    Before the President accepted the sole candidacy, many rallies have been held in several parts of the country pushing for his continuity in office.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC), and other stakeholders in Nigeria, have, however, consistently faulted the PDP rallies, which they said were against the provisions of the Electoral Act.

    The rallies, they claimed, were giving the ruling party undue advantage and preventing a level playing field for all prospective candidates of the various political parties.

    They had called on the ruling party to wait till the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) gives the go-ahead for political campaigns to begin.

    The PDP had denied embarking on campaigns for the 2015 general elections as the rallies were said not to be selling specific candidates to Nigerians but only providing avenues to receive new members to the party.

    Many unions and organisations in the past one year, genuinely or out of eye-service or strategising for what they will get from the government, have also pledged their support for Jonathan’s continuity in 2015.

    Some groups in the North have, however, insisted over the years that Jonathan signed a bond to run for only one term which is expected to end next year.

    According to them, power should return to the North in 2015 in accordance with the bond.

    But the Presidency had denied the existence of any bond and maintained that Jonathan was entitled to run for a second term in office in line with the 1999 Constitution.

    At the BoT press conference in the Presidential Villa, which announced Jonathan as the party’s sole candidate, the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu had claimed that the BoT’s action was a reward to Jonathan for his hard work and giant strides in transforming the country and properly steering the ship of state.

    He said: “You must remember that consensus building is also part of democracy. For us in the PDP, we believe that the BoT is the conscience of the party.

    “So, if the BoT has agreed to endorse Mr. President as the candidate of the party, what we are simply saying is that we are persuading every member of the party to accept that position.

    “So, we are not going to force any person, but we are making a strong statement; we are persuading our people strongly to accept this position for the reasons earlier mentioned. It is also important for us to know that we need to reward hard work, we need to reward commitment, we need to reward achievement and we need to reward performance.”

    Just as in the past, some registered political parties may soon toe the line of the ruling party by endorsing Jonathan as their sole candidate.

    Even with all these endorsements, the period leading to the PDP convention and primaries will show if all PDP members planning to run for the Presidency have shelved their plans, or will slug it out at the convention or quickly move to the opposition parties before the door is shut against them.

  • Jonathan, Sambo and the Economic Management Team

    Another record was broken in the State House on last Tuesday when Vice-President Namadi Sambo presided over the Economic Management Team (EMT) meeting.

    It has never happened before since the beginning of the Jonathan/Sambo administration.

    But Sambo had presided over the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meetings several times when President Goodluck Jonathan was away on official engagements.

    The EMT meeting, which comprises President Jonathan as the Chairman and Sambo as Vice-Chairman has Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as the Coordinator of the Economic Management Team.

    Other members of the team are Minister of National Planning, Minister of Trade and Investment, Minister of Power, Minister of Petroleum Resources, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Works, Minister of Education, Minister of Health, Minister of State for Finance, Minister of State for Health, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Chief Economic Adviser, Special Adviser, Monitoring and Evaluation, Director-General, Budget, Director-General, Debt Management Office, Director-General, Bureau for Public Procurement, Director-General, Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission.

    Also in the team are Honorary Adviser on Agriculture and Governor of Adamawa State, and Honorary Adviser on Finance and Governor of Anambra State, Honorary Adviser on the Economy and President, Nigerian Economic Society, Mr. Atedo Peterside and business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

    Even from the period of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, similar meetings were normally presided over by the President.

    President Jonathan had permitted Sambo to preside over the EMT meeting on Tuesday last week as he was away in Chad holding talks with his Chadian counterpart, Idriss Deby on how to end terror attacks in the sub-region.

    Sambo relocated the venue of the meeting which normally brainstorms and charts a new course for the Nigerian economy to his Conference Room at the Vice-Presidential Wing of the State House.

    Either out of ignorance or because they were not used to the Vice-Presidential Wing, many of the EMT members first reported to the Council Chamber at the President’s Wing of the State House which normally is the venue of the meeting.

    They were redirected to the Vice-President Wing by the security officials on duty.

    As usual, the team members filed out at the end of the meeting without briefing journalists on the outcome of the meeting.

  • Where are the bats and monkeys?

    Bats and monkeys used to be seen at the Presidential Villa in large numbers. But it appears these common animals at the seat of power seem to have relocated from the Presidential Villa.

    The two species of animals were listed among those that could carry and spread the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD).

    Before the disease was brought into Nigeria by the late Liberian-American, Patrick Sawyer in July, many monkeys freely move around the Presidential Villa from the thick forest around the seat of power.

    It was a common sight during the day and night to see some of the monkeys in groups sitting on or playing around staff vehicles parked in the State House.

    Many bats, before the outbreak of the disease in Nigeria, could also be seen hanging on almost every tree in the Villa.

    This is no longer the case. It has become almost impossible to sight a monkey in the Villa in the past few days. The number of bats on trees in the Villa has also reduced drastically.

    Before the Ebola outbreak, it would be a miracle for any car parked under a tree in the Villa to go unstained as such cars are always stained with bat or monkey faeces within 30 minutes after parking.

    But now, very little faeces can be found on few cars parked under the trees.

    Some cars parked for over eight hours under such trees don’t even have any bat or monkey faeces on them as stains in the last few days.

    In the wake of the disease in Nigeria, members of staff of State House were warned on how to avoid contracting the disease through the animals.

    Apart from the campaigns against the disease at different forums in the society, the Chief Physician to the President, Dr. Fortune Fiberesima issued internal circular outlining simple procedures on how to keep away the disease from the Villa.

    The circular reads: “In view of the recent outbreak of the Ebola Virus Disease and certain animals (bats and monkeys) have been linked with the virus, the following precautionary measures are deemed necessary: “Avoid physical contact with bats and monkeys, whether dead or alive.

    “Do not pick dead bats and monkeys. Please, immediately notify the Public Health Unit of the State House Medical Centre (SHMC) for proper disposal.

    “Avoid using hands to clear animal droppings (animal faeces) on parked cars. “Hand gloves are available at the SHMC on request. Water-hose vehicles

    parked under trees (with or without animal droppings on them) properly

    before washing.

    “Sanitise hands or wash your hands with soap and water as often as possible.

    “The aforementioned measures are purely precautionary, in view of the large number of bats and monkeys in the Villa.”

    What is now not really clear is why have the two species of animals suddenly

    disappeared from the Villa?

    Are they just being sensitive to the Ebola alert raised in the Villa and now know that they have become endangered animals?

    Or are members of staff of the State House becoming so unfriendly to make them leave the environment they have lived in over the years? Or still, have they just migrated to return at a later date? Only time will tell.

  • ‘I’ll serve the country the best way possible’

    Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Senator Bala Mohammed at President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that he has not resigned or considered resigning, contrary to speculations.

    Senator Mohammed spoke during a meeting with some community leaders from the FCT.

    He said: “If President Goodluck Jonathan says I should continue and stay here, of course, I will do so. Any assignment the President gives me, I will carry out according to the will of Almighty Allah.”

    The meeting, Mohammed said, was convened to sensitise the people on the deepening the democratic process in the FCT.

    Speakers at the meeting commended the minister on his good administrative style, describing him as a true democrat.

    Hon. Zephaniah Jisalo representing Abuja North Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives said they were grateful for the assistance being extended to the party and the area councils by the minister.

    He advised chairmen of the area council to complement the efforts of the minister in mobilising and sensitising the people.

    Contributing, the member representing Abuja South Federal Constituency, Hon. Isah Ega Dobi, also spoke.

    He said residents of the FCT appreciated Senator Mohammed’s efforts.

    According to him, since the minister’s assumption of office, things have been functioning in the FCT.

    He said: “We want you to continue here with us so that you will continue the laudable service you have been rendering to us all in the FCT.”

    Dobi vowed to continue to explain the various programmes and policies of the Mohammed administration to the people at the grassroots.

    “We will do so because all he has been doing is for the development and well-being of the people,” he said.

    The Commissioner representing the FCT at the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Commission, Danjuma Busa, said the minister had brought new impetus to development in Abuja.

    He described the minister as a leader who cares for the welfare and future well-being of the people indigenous to the FCT, stressing that he has done more than any other minister of the FCT.

    He said the people would wish he continues to actualise his initiatives, such as the land swap programme.

    The Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the FCT, Senator Yunusa Suleiman, also commended the minister for his contributions in advancing the fortunes of the party at all levels.

    He recalled that under the minister, the party has gained control of five out of six area councils in the FCT contrary to the situation in the past when PDP was in control of between three and four area councils in the territory.

    Others present at the meeting included the Minister of State for the FCT, Oloye Olajumoke-Akinjide, members of National Assembly representing the FCT, chairmen of area councils, Ward chairmen, women leaders and other stakeholders of the party from the six area councils that make up the territory.

     

  • Ajaokuta chairman supports TCN

    The Chairman, Ajaokuta Local Government Area and Kogi State chairman of the Association of Local Government of Nigeria (ALGON), Aloysius Okino, has said his administration will support the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to improve electricity supply to the area.

    The chairman spoke at the weekend during the inauguration of the 30MWA,132/33KV “MOBITRA” transformer and the commissioning of the newly constructed 3x33KV feeder-bays built in-house at the Ajaokuta-2, 132/33KV substation.

    According to Okino, his  involvement and financial contribution were borne out of the belief that Ajaokuta was the power base of the nation.

    He noted that the presence of two of the newly constructed Independent power plants (Geregu 1&2) should guarantee efficient electricity to the local government and its environ.

    He praised the management of the TCN for their hard work, commitment to duty and prudent management of resources which he said was responsible for the timely completion of the projects.

    He promised that his council and the people of the area would continue to protect PHCN installations in the area, assuring that adequate security arrangement has been put in place to secure their equipment.

    The Director in-charge of the Abuja TCN, who was represented by Isaac Okpe, praised the chairman for his assistance towards the completion of the project.

    While maintaining that the TCN will ensure uninterrupted power supply to  Nigerians, the director noted that work has reached advanced stage to hook Adogo, headquarters of Ajaokuta LGA to the Ajaokuta substation.

    Balogun A. O, an engineer,  noted that the newly commissioned 3x33KV feeder-bays was designed to feed the Adogo/Eganyi community, the West African Ceramics Company and Ajaokuta Steel Plant.

  • Council sets up committee on Ebola 

    The Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), has inaugurated a technical committee to tackle the ebola virus disease.

    The Chairman of the council, Hon. Micah Jiba, told reporters that the council had mapped out strategies to curb any possible outbreak, noting that the council had to be proactive considering the central location of the council.

    Jiba, who praised the media for the level of awareness, created about the disease, also enjoined them to sustain the tempo until cure of the Ebola virus is found by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

    The council chief also praised both the Federal Government and FCT Administration for what he described as “proactive steps” to address the scourge, even as he called on religious and traditional leaders to assist government in spreading the awareness campaigns which aim at curbing the spread of the virus.

    “I praise the media for the awareness created about the Ebola virus. I have a publication of one of the national dailies on Ebola virus. Through the media, we have known that routine cleaning and disinfection of animal houses with sodium hypochlorite (bleach) or other detergents are effective in inhibiting the virus.

    “Restricting or banning movement of animals from infected farms to other areas can reduce the spread of the disease and segregation of infected animals from others. This type of awareness can go a long way in checking the spread,” Jiba said.

    Jiba revealed that the Supervising Councillor, health and other senior primary health workers are members of the committee, adding that the committee will collaborate with other relevant bodies for positive result.

  • ‘Fed Govt committed to ending Boko Haram insurgency’

    Senate President David Mark has re-assured Nigerians that the Federal Government is committed to fighting Boko Haram and other criminals. He urged Nigerians to co-operate with security agencies in order to overcome security challenges in the country is experiencing.

    Senator Mark spoke in Abuja at the inauguration of the Board of Trustees (BOT) and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association of Licenced Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN) which is regulated by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

    Mark advised security operatives to shun rivalry and tackle in security.

    Represented by Dr. Peter Keshi, Senator Mark said: “It is time for action. This is the appropriate time to fight together insurgence to a standstill. We should not let anything hinder us. Nigeria must remain one united entity and we must remain one indivisible nation.

    “It is important that we act immediately. We must ensure that the Association of Licensed Private Security Practitioners of Nigeria (ALPSPN) is constitutionally recognised.

    “Push it at the National Assembly and I will give it an accelerated hearing when the time comes. We must get a law establishing it to avoid crisis in the future.

    “The Federal Government is very committed to keeping Nigeria one; government is committed to fighting insurgence (Boko Haram) and all other forms of crimes. This is the time for inter-agency collaboration and not competition within security agencies”.

    Minister of Interior, Comrade Abba Moro, urged the private security operatives to work with other security operatives to end insurgency.

    He said they should be provided with more sophisticated equipment to further assist the government.

    Moro, who was represented by the Director of Paramilitary, assured the association of government’s support.

    Commandant-General of NSCDC, Dr. Ade Abolurin, pointed out that ignorance makes security agencies fight with one another over superiority.

    He further said the private security outfit is expected to be involved in intelligence gathering and keeping government aware of happenings across the country.

    He condemned the incident that occurred in Lagos where some policemen threatened to kill him on duty.

    His words: “Men of this private security outfit are not gatemen neither are they just ordinary security men. Boko Haram is the current security challenge we as a country experience now and Nigeria and Nigerians need you now more than any other time to respond and fight.  You should encourage synergy.

  • A committee’s fight against flood, insurgency

    A committee’s fight against flood, insurgency

    In 2012, the country witnessed an unprecedented flood that destroyed homes in many states. A Presidential Committee was set up to raise funds to ease the suffering of the victims. In this report, BUKOLA AMUSAN examines the committee’s handling of the assignment.

    The response to the flood disaster that ravaged many states  in 2012, President Goodluck Jonathan inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Flood Relief and Rehabilitation last year.

    The committee was saddled with examining the effects of the disaster on victims, causes of the flood and prevention.

    Though the committee had done some tangible work in raising funds to assist victims, it may have less work to carry out this year compared to the amount of work it carried out in 2012 when many communities witnessed great devastating effects of the flood. The scale of damage prompted the inauguration of the committee, which is co-chaired by business mogul, Aliko Dangote and human rights activist, Olisa Agbakoba.

    Fortunately, the committee has, so far, had less work to do during this rainy season as there is no major flood disaster.

    To avoid the funds raised to fight flooding being redundant and useless, it had to be channelled to tackling insurgency in the Northeast.

    A member of the committee, who is also the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, told reporters that part of the N17 billion raised to support victims of flooding has been deployed in support the fight against insurgency.

    Dangote had announced that a sub-committee, headed by Ambassador Godknows Igali, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Power, was working on plans to intervene in a various disasters and would submit its report in the first week of April for immediate consideration and implementation.

    “We didn’t have much flooding in 2013 and the rain is not heavy this year. We believe that millions of Nigerians are in need, and that calls for the need to provide between N750 million and N800 million to assist them,” Dangote said.

    Many communities are affected by communal conflicts in recent time. This, according to the committee, propelled it to move beyond its terms of reference and wade into the problems of the people.

    The committee, considering the effects of conflicts in some parts of Nigeria, perpetrated by the Boko Haram insurgents and feuding communities, decided to extend its interventions to non-flood-related emergencies.

    This intervention, according to Alhaji Dangote, was also informed by the fact that anticipated high level floods in the country, did not occur last year.

    Omeri, said the agency was working with others to create disaster mitigation awareness at the grassroots.

    He assured Nigerians of fair, balanced and equitable distribution of disaster relief projects, which he said would be sited devoid of political and other sentiments.

    Calling for support from Nigerians and international donor agencies, Omeri said there was no limit to contributions towards saving human lives, urging Nigerians, including those who had made pledges towards assisting victims of disaster with relief and rehabilitation to come forward and fulfill such promises.

    The relief committee also established an 11-man committee headed by former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr. Tunde Lemo, in April to implement the relief efforts.

    Although the mandate of the committee was well spelt out when President Jonathan announced its establishment during a nation-wide broadcast on Tuesday, October 9, 2012, among which was to organise a fund raisers for the relief and rehabilitation of flood victims in the aftermath of the ravaging floods that affected many states that year, the committee was also expected to advise the government on the judicious utilisation of funds raised and had the president’s authority to co-opt any other persons or organisations that it may deem useful in carrying out its assignment.

    The committee had 12 months to complete its assignment and report to the President.

    The 34-man Presidential Committee set out to raise about N100 billion through a fund-raising dinner, though donations and pledges made by prominent Nigerians during the dinner only amounted to N11.35 billion. This was despite tax incentives announced by President Jonathan for all corporate organisations that would donate to the flood relief fund.

    Dangote and the Federal Government topped the donors’ list with donation of N2.5 billion, while business giants, Chairman of Visafone Jim Ovia, and Tony Elumelu came second with N1billion each.

    By June 13, last year, the committee had invited technical and financial bids from reputable companies for building of houses as well as provision of essential amenities in the 22 states affected by the 2012 flood disaster.

    The states were Abia, Adamawa, Anambra, Bayelsa, Bauchi, Benue, Cross River, Delta, Edo, Imo, Jigawa, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau, Rivers and Taraba.

    The projects to be sited in the states include two-bedroom and three-bedroom flats as well as construction of community centres. They also include procurement and installation of mobile solar-powered packaged water treatment plants and generator-powered water treatment plants, procurement and installation of solar-powered hand pumps and rehabilitation of boreholes. The committee had announced that it would give preference to contractors from the affected states to ensure timely completion of the projects.

    More cheering news came from the Presidential Committee after a meeting on March 28, this year that all was set for the commencement of the award of contracts for the provision of disaster relief infrastructure, this time in more than 24 states of the federation, from the second week of April.

     

  • Kogi community pledges support for APC

    The indigenes of Yagba in Okunland, a Yoruba-speaking community in Kogi State, have pledged their support for the All Progressives Congress (APC), expressing the desire for one of their sons to become the Senator representing Kogi West Senatorial District during next year’s general elections.

    The people, spread across three local government areas – Yagba West, Yagba East and Mapa/Amoro – believe it is their turn to produce the next Senator. They noted that the zone has not produced a senator since the creation of the state in 1991.

    Therefore, many of them have resolved to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate from the district.

    In a statement made available to our correspondent in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, some concerned members of the Yagba Federal Constituency claimed “retired Col. Tunde Ogbeha from Koton Karfe/Lokoja area represented the district between 1999 and 2007 and Senator Smart Adeyemi from Kabba/Bunu/Jumu Constituency is representing the district since 2007.

    “Senator Ogbeha served two terms and Senator Adeyemi is serving his second term, and both are of the PDP. For the sake of justice, equity and fairness, it is our turn to produce the next Senator for the district,” they said.

    They lamented that “the two PDP Senators had not represented their interest well in the Senate since the beginning of the “current democratic dispensation.

    “It is our firm belief that of all the politicians aspiring for that position, Otunba Samuel Dele Aro of the APC from Odo-Eri, Yagba West Local Government Area, possesses the requisite experience to give the district in general and Yagba people in particular quality representation.

    “Having served as a member of the House of Representatives between 2007 and 2011, he is qualified to represent the district appropriately. He didn’t disappoint us as a member of the then House of Representatives.

    “Our people are also convinced that it is the APC; a party of the progressives, that can lead us out of the current socio-economic and political predicament that has been our lot.”

  • Jonathan and Automated Teller Machine

    There was a momentary uneasy calm in the Banquet Hall of the State House, Abuja on the last Thursday of last month during the Presidential launch of the new Nigerian national electronic identity card.

    The ATM brought for demonstration appeared malfunctioned, momentarily though.

    The machine was to demonstrate to the whole world, through televised transmission coverage at the occasion, the effectiveness of the use of the new identity card for carrying out financial transactions.

    President Goodluck Jonathan, who was to demonstrate with the machine after he was issued with his new national identity card at the occasion, had to make many cash withdrawal attempts before the machine could pay him.

    While he was battling with the machine for about four minutes, there was a pin-drop silence in the hall as everyone’s eyes were glued to the Access Bank ATM to see whether the card project was another white elephant project that would drain the national treasury.

    Many officials of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), which produced the new multi-purpose national identity card and the staff of the Access Bank, partners of the Commission and other stakeholders were visibly jittery in the hall while the President was trying his card on the machine in the full glare of the world.

    Worried by the scenario, someone adorning the official tag for the function whispered to a colleague of his: “This is going to be a national shame if this machine fails to pay the President.”

    The Master of Ceremonies’ voice that broke the silence in the hall as the President was making attempts on the machine might have provided the solution to the problem being posed by the machine.

    Sensing the uneasy calm in the hall and trying to give reason for Mr. President staying too long on the machine, the MC jokingly said that the President has been trying to make very big sum cash withdrawal from the machine.

    That might have been the saving grace for the day because the machine immediately paid the President as soon as a lower cash sum withdrawal request was made by him.

    Mr. President’s immediate display of the new N1, 000 notes for the whole world to see elicited jubilation in the hall.

    Before the unveiling of the card and the ATM demonstration, the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Mr. Chris Onyemenam had made some presentation and showed video clips to the audience to highlight the usefulness of the card.

    Benefits of the new card, according to him, are fostering cashless economy, making life easier for Nigerians, fostering financial inclusion and access to credits, helping to eliminate ghost workers phenomenon, among other benefits.

    Other benefits of the card containing biometrics of the holder, advanced chip design and 13 applets, he said, include protection against identity theft and related fraud, improving law enforcement and national security, improving pension and tax administration, improving e-government and service delivery, enhancing social welfare programmes and subsidies, facilitating easy movement and travel as citizens will be able to assert their identity globally.

    President Jonathan was very happy with the launch of the card and could not hide his excitement and joy over the new multi-purpose card throughout the occasion.

    He said: “Of course, today is a very glorious day. We have seen as a nation that we are happy that NIMC has reached this level today. I am particularly pleased about NIMC because there are a number of things we are supposed to do well as a nation which we are not doing. And sometimes we blame government because of failure of the system and the credibility of the process.

    “If you take the issue of subsidy of transport, what we do is subsidising hydrocarbon. But it does not go to the ordinary people. Government spends huge sum of money running into hundreds of billions of Naira every year in the budget in this regard.

    “During the 2011 elections, there were crises in some states. Properties were burnt. But how do we address these issues? We set up committee to make inventories of things and take data of people, but by the time you want to make payment, the duplications will be so much. Those who are affected will not get the money.”

    But his happiness with NIMC was not the same for the Nigerian Security and Minting Company (NSMC) at the occasion as he expressed sadness with the performance of the NSMC over the years.

    He was particularly sad that Nigeria had to go abroad to print ballot papers for elections in Nigeria and international passport among other items that drain Nigeria’s hard earned foreign exchange.

    Regretting the ineffectiveness and inefficiency of the NSMC, he said: “In fact, when I appointed the new Governor of the Central Bank Nigeria (CBN), I told him that the Nigerian Security and Minting Company must be reformed. The board must look into management and get choice global players who are into this business and partner with them.

    “There is no way we can do local government election, election of members of state Houses of Assembly, election of governors in Oyo, Ekiti, Adamawa and what we will use in those elections will be produced outside this country. Why is this so?

    “Other countries produce their needs; we claim to be a giant, a giant that will just send everything out. We empower others and do not create jobs for our people.  So, the NSMC must be restructured.”