My trepidation arose from the fact that there is, already, an abandoned 100,000 metric Tonnes Silo in Ado-Ekiti, owned by the same federal government evidence of which is shown below in a public lecture I gave as far back as Thursday 19thSeptember 2013.
For the week, we are privileged to have, as part writer, Chief Samuel Bandele Falegan, a onetime Director of Research at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, as well as the first Nigerian Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank Nigeria. A trained economist, and committed patriot, Chief Falegan is the Atoye of Ado-Ekiti.
I read with a great deal of trepidation and surprise, a newspaper report that, in its determination to promote and encourage agriculture, the federal government plans to establish a grains’ silo in Ado-Ekiti. My trepidation arose from the fact that there is, already, an abandoned 100,000 metric Tonnes Silo in Ado-Ekiti, owned by the same federal government evidence of which is shown below in a public lecture I gave as far back as Thursday 19thSeptember 2013.
“INTEGRITY IN THE PUBLIC SERVICE AND ITS IMPACT ON PRODUCTIVITY”- Being THE 2013 ANNUAL PUBLIC LECTURE OF THE EKITI STATE CHAPTER OF THE FORUM OF HEADS OF FEDERAL ESTABLISHMENTS.
There is a 100,000 metric Tonnes Silo estimated to cost N4 billion, started five years ago in Ado-Ekiti but, up till now, has not been completed. Much as Ekiti, an agrarian state, needs a grain storage silo, the uncompleted or “abandoned” silos raises doubts about the sincerity of those who conceived it if, five years after the construction began, it is yet to be completed. Could it be that the N4 billion voted for it has been exhausted? In a recent interview with the contractors, apart from being doggy on pertinent questions, all I got was a mere promise to complete it as soon as money is made available. The questions which arise, therefore are these: which one should come first, availability of, and potential surplus grains, for which there will be a need for a silo or should the provision of a silo precede availability of grains? Meanwhile, five yearly harvest seasons have passed without evidence of surplus grains in the state. That obviously raises the question of credibility and the sincerity of the promoters (may be, as Nigerians have come to see since President Muhammadu Buhari’s coming, those in charge have already taken their “bite,” leaving the project to its fate).
I chose the 100,000 metric “Tonnes project as an example of the waste and graft that dominated the past governments. I am convinced that the portion below quoted from that lecture is relevant to the illustration and the example I used. That is also why one cannot but feel concerned about the obvious indifference to work which, in turn, results in lack of productivity leading to lack of vision, initiative or innovation.
Ordinarily your work here, as officials of the federal government, ought to positively contribute to the growth and development of Ekiti. Let me pause and explain those two esoteric terms and explain the difference between them which, when not properly interrogated, are in conflict with each other. Economic growth is often measured in terms of a Nation, using such indices as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) or Gross National Product (GNP) or National Income (NI). It is, however, possible for a nation like Nigeria to have Economic Growth without Economic Development especially when its components, at the state level are understated and grassroots/ rural development, job creation and poverty eradication are under-reported and need to be captured in computing the national data. The consequence in economic terms is that some indices such as population that are exaggerated or inflated in some states in the country, (as confirmed both by INEC and the Country’s Population Census Board) will lead to conflicting per capita income which can more than distort the nation’s growth rate. Nigeria, measured largely by its one crop-product of crude oil which contributes over 80 per-cent of its revenue, is reported to have been having positive and upward bound Economic growth of about 7 per-cent annually since about 2004 up to 2012, when it declined to 6.19% in the first half of 2013. Yet when other indices like rural development, health, employment generation, road-network, education etc all of which are indices of Human Capital Development are absent, it may turn out to be negative such that these items being religiously pursued at the state level but not computed in the national data, will result in growth without development, understate its per capita income and overstate its debt profile as recently published by the Debt Management Office. Thus, growth cannot be real but artificial as measured by the traditional method if, and where, there is no development as measured by Human Development Index. Whereas positive development will be enhanced when growth is accomplished by the latter, it is in this context that we have to measure your assignment and mission to this state. May be you don’t appreciate the fact that your mission to this state is meant to create jobs and employment opportunities, leading to improved quality of life as well as improved living standards through honest execution of the projects directed at the rural population. Not only did I send a copy of my lecture to the then Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, who in his characteristic and patriotic concern about public waste, reacted positively.
I hope the Federal Ministry of Agriculture should be interested in knowing exactly what happened to the project to which a highly regarded patriot has brought to the public space through this article.
PDP Senators Withdraw Support From The Buhari Administration
Senators elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP announced, this past week, their withdrawal from supporting the Buhari administration over what they described as the government’s “belligerent attitude” towards its members. They will do that, they said, until the APC government ends its belligerent attitude towards PDP members. So what is this belligerent attitude, asking thieves to return their loot? Could this be their reaction to Buhari’s refusal to align with his predecessor’s ‘stealing is not corruption’ mantra? Could it be that asking them to come and justify how they believe that fraudulently forging their extant Rules to gift Saraki the senate presidency is no internal affairs of the senate as they claim? They even talk about coercion and intimidation as if these words have new meanings. Pray, how does asking these two adults to come and have their day in court equate to intimidation and how does answering to one’s actions transmute to a case against the senate as an institution? And, as if they are just waking up from a prolonged slumber, they are not even ashamed to deploy the very serious economic and security challenges confronting the country, as part of the building blocks for their so-called withdrawal of support for the government? When did they become ceased of these challenges? How does their irresponsible quest for life pension and immunity for their leadership fit into these challenges or which of their humongous allowances, which make them rank as the highest paid legislators anywhere in the world, have they given up? And by the way, was padding the budget and throwing the list of ambassadors on the President’s face acts of support for the Buhari administration? Who has not seen that both legislative houses now barely form a quorum at plenary since Buhari made money for bills impossible? If these PDP senators know what is good for them, their withdrawal of support for the Buhari government should have kicked off with Ike Ekweremadu quitting office as Deputy Senate President. Without a doubt, these senators sure don’t know what Nigerians think of this 8th Assembly. Rather than bellyache, I think they should be happy to have one additional court to troop to in solidarity with their compromised leaders. Nigerians cannot wait to see that charade.
