The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Buhari’s second term

  • ‘Why Northcentral deserves SGF in Buhari’s second term’

    A group, the ‘Next Level Programme Coalition (NLPC), has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint the next Secretary to the Government  of  the Federation (SGF) from the Northcentral zone.

    The group said President Buhari, being a pan-Nigerian leader, must ensure equal distribution of positions among the six geo-political zones in his second term tenure.

    It added that allotting the sensitive position to the zone would help in clearing the doubt that President Buhari only believed in the Northwest and Northeast, which his critics had been deploying as a campaign weapon to smear the President’s personality and reduced his national status.

    In a statement by its National President, Dr. Ibrahim Sanni Doguwa, and National  Secretary,  Mr. Olufemi Akanbi, the group said with the confusion and cries of marginalisation in some zones, appointments must spread evenly across the zones to remove the vestiges of concentration of powers in certain areas.

    It added: “With the way positions have been shared by APC national leaders, the President and Vice President have gone to the Northwest and Southwest, the Northeast is to produce the Senate President, South south, the senate president and southwest the  Speaker.

    “For the purpose of political balancing, the north central  should produce the next SGF , which is regarded as another pivotal position in the country in the spirit of equity, justice and fair play”.

    The group reiterated its call for the appointment of former Benue State Governor, Senator George Akume into the position, describing him as a stabiliser and detrabilised Nigerian, who can bring the country together.

    “Ex-Governor Akume is a bridge between the old and young generation politicians in the country .

    “Apart from his vast experience in the public service, he is acceptable to all ethnic groups and religious bodies in the country as well as traditional institution.

    “Aside from the foregoing, he also musters respect and followership across all political parties, including those in the fold of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    “Politician if this stuff will add value to governance and bring stability to the country if given a chance to head such a strategic position”, he stated.

     

  • Osinbajo: what to expect from Buhari’s second term

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo gave the 50th convocation lecture at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) on Monday. The lecture titled ‘Nigeria Rising…The Path to Prosperity’, Osinbajo itemises what has been done to reposition the country and what needs to be done. Excerpts:

    I suspect that the choice of the subject of this lecture: ‘Nigeria Rising…The Path to Prosperity’ was informed by the curiosity of the university about what to expect from the Buhari administration in the next four years.

    I will speak to this in several parts.

    Perhaps I may begin by affirming the belief of the Buhari Administration that Nigeria’s prosperity means a decent existence for all. Second,  that prosperity so defined will be attained if we are able to address the issues of extreme poverty, productivity, corruption, the rule of law and the deficiencies in the quality of Human Resources caused by poor education and healthcare ) . This last point is possibly the most fundamental.  How to ensure that we maximise the potential of the abundant Human Resources that we have. This implies that we must have a robust enough healthcare system that ensures that the average person is in good health, an educational system that guarantees education capable of preparing children for the opportunities and challenges of a knowledge economy, a thriving private sector-led economy supported by a business-friendly environment , a system of wealth creation options and safety nets capable of taking millions out of poverty and providing for those who cannot work. The wealth creation options must include access to cheap credit for smallholder farmers, traders and artisans. The safety nets include government created job schemes for the unemployed and cash transfers for the poorest and most vulnerable.

    In planning the path to prosperity we also took into account the age-old weaknesses of the Nigerian economy , and the illusion of prosperity that frequently distorts our understanding of the actual fragility of our economy. First is the focus on GDP growth figures, without a clear understanding of the underlying dynamic. 60% of GDP growth is dependent on oil revenues. How? While the oil sector contributes between 8-12percent, the non-oil sector contributed between 88-92 percent of GDP. However, between 50-53percent of the non-oil sector is also dependent on the fortunes of the oil sector.

    This means the economy rested on a tripod where two of the three legs were dependent on highly volatile oil prices and production.

    This shaky economic structure enabled Nigeria to keep growing as long as  revenue from oil and foreign reserves were high enough and of course we celebrated this fragile growth structure. By the very nature of extractive industries  high oil revenues does not mean more jobs or better human development indices.  Jobs are only created where there is value added. A thriving petrochemical industry would of course have created jobs directly from the oil and gas industry . The economy  had also been running a consumption growth model which is only advantageous if consumption is been met by domestic production of goods and services. However our structure was based on consumption of large portions of imports. As long as there was plenty of oil based foreign exchange in the reserves to import and fuel consumption our economy kept growing in GDP terms but few jobs were being created and more people were going into poverty. The majority of the affluent in this economic are the professionals, financial services contractors and others able to plug into the rent seeking opportunities that are created when the biggest business is government owned. The productive sector, the real manufacturers, the value adding businesses are relatively few.  The main source of the income coming to this class of individuals is oil revenue. When oil revenues fall, not only does GDP growth fall but  this most affluent  but unproductive sector suffers. Also in understanding the problems of the Nigerian economy, the place of corruption, especially grand corruption is crucial . The same oil earnings meant to develop infrastructure, fund education and healthcare end up in private pockets. The feeding frenzy is worse in times of high earnings from oil. A combination of theft of public revenues and the consequent failure to invest in infrastructure as well as a largely rentier or rent seeking business class is what accounts for Nigeria’s economic quagmire. The other problem is that of extreme poverty. A problem that  for reasons already adduced  increases even where oil earnings are high.

    It was clear to us that we needed to devise an economic plan that prioritise:

    1. Building of infrastructure especially rail, roads, power and ports.
    2. Productivity as we diversified the economy from oil and gas,
    3. The fight against public sector corruption,
    4. Developing a new educational curriculum that emphasizes Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths
    5. A new approach to resourcing healthcare
    6. A Social Investment programme that deals with issues of extreme poverty and unemployment. The Economic Recovery and Growth Plan effectively addressed these issues.

     

    So,how far have we gone and what is the next level?

     

    We believe that creating an environment for productivity investment in hard and soft infrastructure is crucial. Soft infrastructure covers the whole gamut of the regulatory environment for business. For hard infrastructure we have focused on economically strategic roads, rail, power and ports accross the country. Roads and rail linking important commercial centres are prioritised.

    As of today in two budget cycles despite earning over 60% less than the previous government we have invested 2.7trillion on capital the highest in the country.  We have recently commissioned the Lagos Abeokuta Ibadan end of the new standard gauge Lagos Kano Rail. The rail originates from the Apapa port which means that cargo will be moved by rail from the Apapa port, this will significantly ameliorate the congestion of that port. To expand port facilities generally we are currently dredging the Warri Port. In Lagos work is going on in the private sector led Lekki Port and the Badagry Port has also attracted significant foreign capital and interest. In Abuja after almost fifteen years we have completed and commissioned the Abuja light rail project starting from the airport to the city Centre. Similarly we completed and commissioned the Abuja Kaduna Railway. The Itakpe Warri Railway has also been completed linking the iron ore deposits to the Warri port.  Here in the southwest of Nigeria, work is ongoing on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Lagos-Otta-Abeokuta Expressway, the Ikorodu-Sagamu Road, and the Ogbomosho-Ilorin Road.  The contract for the Lagos-Badagry Expressway has been awarded and work has already begun.

    On Power, we have moved generation from 4000 to 8100 MW. But the effect of this increase in generation has not translated significantly to better service to the consumer. This is mainly due  to   distribution challenges. Over 2000 MW of power is not taken up by the discos for distribution to consumers largely because of problems they experience in  collection of Tarrif , but one of the reasons for this is  the fact that the discos have not invested significantly in metering. We have now embarked on a major metering Initiative The Metering Assets Programme which involves private   metering Assets providers ,. In addition  the Federal government  has in the past eighteen months taken on the deficiencies in  transmission head on through the TCN and the NDPHC we are completing transmission projects all around the country. But the more important strategy is to decentralize power production. So we have adopted an off grid programme. Which means that we are encouraging private investors to collaborate with government to build IPPs and supply power to willing buyers. This was made possible by what  is called an eligible customer declaration by the Ministry of power works and Housing. By this collaboration we have been providing power, especially Solar Power  to economic clusters such as markets across the country including , Ariaria market in Aba, 31993 shops , Sabongari market in Kano 13,598 shops,  Sura market in Lagos 1047. Isikan  493, NEPA 256,  Gbagi 8778, UMBC 2178, a  total of 81691shops servicing 320000 SMEs.In  Lagos we recently  commissioned the Sura market solar project, the businesses there now have 24 hour power. From printers, commercial tailors to small chop businesses, everyone is employing more and making  more profit.

    The next level is to ensure completion of the major infrastructure projects. The main drawback is funding. We have established an infrastructure fund.

    • The Presidential Infrastructure Development Fund
    • Second Niger Bridge
    • Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
    • Mambilla Hydro Power Project
    • Abuja-Kano Expressway
    • East-West Road

    If we stick to our agenda in the next two years we will see the most significant improvements, in our power sector in history.  Industrial Infrastructure is a major component of our economic transformation plan. Project MINE Made in Nigeria for Export is the major plank of our industrial policy.  The idea is to build Special Economic Zones which accommodate industries for local manufacture of goods for which Nigeria has a comparative advantage. These include cotton, garments, leatherware etc. The Nigerian EZ investment company, a public private partnership company is the delivery vehicle for the project.  The objectives  are to boost manufacturing share of GDP to 20% and make Nigeria the leading regional manufacturing hub for Sub-Saharan Africa, create 1.5 million new jobs in manufacturing, generate  $30bn in non-oil export earnings annually, improve the utilization of Nigeria’s resources and comparative advantage and whilst creating strong domestic value chains and create local models of global best practice in industrial infrastructure and enabling business environment. Already work has begun in three locations.

    The Enyimba Economic City in Aba covering over 9500 hectares outside Aba in Abia State. Master planning, feasibility studies and detailed design have been completed for phase 1. Three international anchor tenants have been secured for phase 1. The city will be served by an existing IPP for power and will create 625000 jobs when fully built. There is also the Lekki Model Industrial Park in partnership with the Lagos State Government. It is set on 1000 hectares in the NE cluster of Lekki Free Zone. It has already attracted world class anchor tenants for textile and garments, agri-processing and light industrial manufacturing including the no 1 Chinese and No 9 global textile and garment group. The proximity to petrochemical feedstock from the Dangote refinery for,synthetic textile and garment manufacturing makes the park irresistible for investors. The third project in its early stages is the Funtua Cotton Cluster in Katsina State. Funtua has the largest aggregation of cotton ginneries in Nigeria. “The cluster will aggregate cotton from 800,000 farmers in Northern Nigeria and become the largest integrated cotton ginning, spinning and weaving complex in Sub Saharan Africa. It will re-establish the cotton value chain from seed cotton to finished fabric and provide feedstock for domestic and export oriented garment manufacturing”( Okey Enelamah)

    We believe that the future for job creation and efficient and profitable businesses lies in innovation and technology. We have partnered with local and international tech companies and innovators, in the building of tech hubs, and promoting innovation. Our aim is to completely democratise access to  innovation and cyber commerce and create jobs.

    We have established hubs  in collaboration with the WB and LBS..the climate change innovation hub . In Yola, the North East Humanitarian Hub.  We have also in collaboration with Cicvic Hub promoted technology and innovation in universities with the Students innovation challenge in the six geopolitical zones, and technology hubs in three.

    Our technology agenda is premised on our new educational curriculum which emphasizes STEAM. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. We are currently developing  that curriculum  with the support of global players like MIT, Cisco, IBM and Oracle, a nationwide curriculum that incorporates 21st century STEAM thinking: coding, design skills, digital arts, robotics, machine learning, and so on.

    The curriculum will cover primary to secondary education. The Arts component of that vision is extremely important to us. Visual arts, dance, music, film and theatre, comedy,  literature – these and many more are fields in which Nigeria is has proved to the world that it is full of talent and originality and ambition. At the highest levels of the government in Abuja, we are creating opportunities to engage with artists to better understand how we can, as a government, support you to succeed.

    We believe that like technology entertainment and the arts require active support, especially in the development of policies as we engage uncharted territory in the coming years. Consequently the President directed that we establish a  technology and creativity  advisory group, to work on and formulate policies in these very dynamic spaces. We have had about three meetings so far.

     

    Assembly Plants

     

    At the top of the mechanisation chain are six assembly plants to be activated and spread across the six geo-political zones. The assembly plants will undertake the assembly of tractors and processing equipment as well as light manufacturing of parts which will be sent out to the Service Centers closer to the farmers across the length and breadth of Nigeria.

    The first assembly plant, among a total of six (6) to operate, to assemble tractors and implements, will be located in Bauchi State in an already existing facility owned by a private operator.  It is projected that almost 5,000 tractors will be assembled in Nigeria every year.

     

    Service Centres

     

    There will be a total of 780 Service Centers spread across all the Local Government Areas in all the states and the Federal Capital Territory.

    Primarily, the Service Centre will offer a technological package consisting of machinery and equipment services (agricultural mechanisation- e.g. rental of tractors), quality inputs (improved seeds varieties, fertilisers and pesticides), technical assistance and training for small holder farmers in order to ensure consistent results of productivity and quality of agriculture produce.

    The Service Centre will also perform an important market function of being able to aggregate primary produce for processing and haulage to markets. This establishes a means for monetisation and loan repayment based on a percentage of its own agricultural production.

    109 of these Service Centers will be located in the 109 senatorial districts in Nigeria and classified as “ Process Service Center”. Process Service Centers will, in addition to the already mentioned services, have processors which serve as a throughput with which value can be added to agricultural produce brought in by local farmers. Service Centers will be based on the comparative and complementary advantage each location has and also along value chain lines.

    The value chain will cover Grains & Cereal, Livestock, Poultry, Fruits, Roots & Tubers, Horticulture and other areas.

    Young technicians, from The N-Power Agro Programme will join the technical staff of the Service Centres to provide agricultural extension services and production planning, carried out jointly with small holder producers and geared towards market demand.

     

    Impact

     

    Through the implementation of the Green Imperative, 5 million people will be impacted, 100,000 technical personnel will be trained, and 4,848 tractors will be assembled each year, resulting in the ultimate injection of $12 Billion into the local economy over 10 years.

    Additionally, it will increase production and productivity, leading to a reduction in food prices and the cost of living, a drop in food imports, as well as improved food security while boosting exports significantly. The Green Imperative is the next level for Nigerian Agriculture.

    The third is the Social investment Programme .  The SIP is the largest and most ambitious social protection programme in the history of Nigeria. We provided N500b for it in  both 2016 and 2017. But total spend on the programme is  closer to 250 billion from both budgets. The programme has four components. The Npower programme our graduate employment scheme is the largest post-tertiary jobs project in Africa. 500,000  graduates have been recruited as teachers, agricultural extension workers, and as public health officials.  Each of these volunteers is provided with an electronic tablet containing relevant training materials including some with which they are trained to provide the required services on an on-going basis. The device also  empowers them to participate in the digital economy as data collectors and analysts.

    Under the scheme we are giving microcredits to 2 million petty traders across the country.  The scheme enables them to draw further credit if they are able to pay back within six months. The credit schemes also achieve major By giving them credit to replenish and increase their inventories, we give them a stronger chance, to earn more, while they also service the value chain that they are a part of. But more importantly, we bring them into the formal sector, where they have access to government and private credit . GEEP has  led to one of the most successful financial inclusion outcomes, the opening of 349,000 new bank accounts/wallets for beneficiaries and intending beneficiaries.

    Nigeria took the decision to embark on a School Feeding Programme as an important part of our Human Capital development agenda, by tackling  the broader issues of eradication of poverty, food and nutrition security, increasing school enrollment.  The At a cost of $0.19 per child per day we are able to provide a balanced meal for every one of the children.    9,300,892 million pupils in 49,837 public primary schools in 26 states across Nigeria benefit daily.     .lThe programme employs 95,422 cooks, and  over 100,000 small holder farmers linked to the program supplying locally sourced ingredients. This translates to 594 cattle, 138,000 chickens, 6.8 million eggs, 83 metric tons of fish that are procured, prepared, and distributed each week. As you can imagine, the quantity of starch, and vegetables required for this program on a weekly basis is equally impressive. Dietary energy and nutrients with established links to cognition- carbohydrates, protein, fat, iron and iodine as well as minerals with public health importance–are targeted by the NHGSF. The program aims to provide 50% of the Recommended Nutrient Intake targets for protein and prioritised micronutrients (iron, iodine, zinc, vitamin A, folate and vitamin C and 30% of energy because of the high burden of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies in Nigeria. There is also a deworming programme attached to the school Feeding programme.

    By the end of the year the number of new States joining will increase,     the NHGSFP is set to become the largest school feeding programme in Africa.

     

    Conclusion

     

    We restored medium term planning with the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan which served as a useful lodestone in improving macroeconomic performance, boosting the real sector of the economy and building infrastructure.  The decline in growth which started at the end of 2014 has been reversed, inflation has stabilised at about 11% over the past six months and our current account was in surplus at about 1.3% of GDP last year.  Our foreign reserves can cover at least 9 months of import of goods and services and despite understandable concerns, our debt burden is only about 22% of the size of our economy which is one of the lowest ratios in the world.

    We have very clear objectives. Clear plans. As you know the problem of our country is not the planning…or in designing great projects. It is in the actual implementation. We are fortunate that Muhammadu Buhari is not an orator…he is a doer.

  • NUJ and Buhari’s second term

    FOR the umpteenth time, President Muhammadu Buhari has promised Nigerians improvement and positive change in his second term. It is expected that the improvement will be evident when juxtaposed with his first term. During their visit to Aso VIlla last week, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) challenged the president to raise the level of his achievements considerably. Promising to do just that, the president appreciated the role journalists play in nation building and, as expected, listed some of his achievements in security, economy and the war against corruption. His visitors acknowledged his efforts but wanted him to do much more in tackling intolerance and redressing lopsided appointments.

    But the problem with President Buhari’s promises is not that he makes promises and deliberately and malevolently breaks them, but that his conception of the promises are sometimes fundamentally different from the rest of the country’s, and his standards of measurement or interpretation of success takes on worrisome variance. Does the president, for instance, believe his appointments are lopsided? In his first term, he spent a better part of it arguing that no lopsidedness existed in his appointments. As proof of his unimpeachable methods, he advised his critics to look at his cabinet where the constitution enjoins him to engage some balance. He does not see his one-sided security appointments, which critics often point at, and which the constitution does not make mandatory, as an example of imbalance.

    Does the president consider his government as subverting the rule of law? Not at all. He thinks the rule of law is a luxury that Nigeria’s tenuous national security cannot afford, as he has repeatedly argued. He seems to imagine both himself and his government as the lawgiver that transcends or at worst personifies the law. Asked shortly after he was re-elected how his second term would look like, he said it would be marked with taking tough decisions. The country was left to guess what kind of tough decisions he was referring to: tough actions against his opponents or critics, or tough in terms of the measures past leaders had been afraid to take? And does his appreciation of the role of journalists imply that he would inspire protective measures and enact laws that safeguard the profession of journalism? No one knows; and the president is not elaborating.

    If he is to make any impact, however — and he has a limited time to do that — he will indeed have to take extraordinary measures that underscore the positive change he talks glibly about. If the meaning of positive change is clear to him, he will need to make those desired changes quickly and steadily and hope that he can secure his legacy for all time.

  • SGF, Oshiomhole, others prepares for Buhari’s second term Inauguration

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Adams Oshiomhole and other top government functionaries have commenced preparations for the inauguration of President Muhammadu Buhari for a second term by May 29.

    The inter-ministerial Presidential Inauguration Committee was inaugurated on Thursday, after which they began sitting immediately at the SGF conference room.

    Inaugurating the committee in Abuja, the SGF recalled that about four years ago, “the Buhari Administration came on board with the promise of Change built on economy, security and anti-corruption.

    He said the government has since 2015 committed itself to working hard to achieve sustainable economic growth, as well as a secure and corruption free nation.

    He said “preparatory to the inauguration of the new Administration, Mr. President approved the constitution of this Presidential Inter-Ministerial Inauguration Committee (PIC-2019) to plan, organize and execute all approved programmes for the series of activities that would be undertaken”.

    While the SGF would serve as chairman of the committee, other members of the committee includes, Chief of Staff to the President, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Minister of Budget and National Planning, Minister of Finance, Minister of Power, Works & Housing, Attorney General & Minister of Justice, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Minister of Transportation, Minister of Agriculture & Rural Development, Minister of Water Resources, Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria, National Security Adviser, Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Affairs Office and Deputy Chief of Staff to the President who will serve as secretary, respectively.

    The Terms of Reference of the committee includes “to plan, organize and execute all approved activities for the 2019 Presidential Inauguration; Co-opt any organization(s)/person(s) relevant towards the successful execution of the programme; document for posterity, all planned activities for the Inauguration; and, carry out any other assignment as may be required towards the successful implementation of the programme.

    “Distinguished Members of the Presidential Inauguration Committee, in the course of the implementation of this assignment, several sub-committees to be headed by Ministers will be constituted.

    “For inclusiveness however, other members would be drawn from, not just the MDAs, but also from the All Progress Congress (our Party), the Presidential Campaign Council, the Buhari Support Organisation as well as Women and Youth Campaign Council. The mandate of these sub-committees will be clearly spelt out to reflect the purpose for which they have been constituted. Ahead of such constitution, I wish to underscore the need for collaboration and synergy amongst sub-committees while planning and executing the approved programmes.

    “Finally, let me remind all members of the importance of this assignment and that no stone should be left unturned to ensure that this 2019 Presidential Inauguration Committee delivers on its mandate. We must therefore deploy our wealth of experience and show unwavering commitment to this exercise”, the SGF stated.

     

  • Agenda for Buhari’s second term

    Pundits have done several analyses of the recent presidential and congressional elections in Nigeria. They have highlighted the fact that less than 30 million people voted which is a little over 30 percent of the over 80 million registered voters and that 18% of the electorate elected the president. My take on this is that I have always argued that the so-called 200 million population of Nigeria is a myth. We are far from that figure. In fact if I am generous, Nigeria is not more than 120 million. The problem we have is the tying of population to revenue allocation and political power. Any student of the history of Nigeria’s demography knows that this has always been negotiated whenever we conduct our census. The British started this in 1956 and since that time we have always used mathematical progression to arrive at our probable population.

    All regions and ethnic groups in Nigeria inflate their population whenever things are to be shared. I remember a time in 1978 on the eve of the federally-funded universal basic education and states were asked to supply figures of children under the age of six years for purpose of planning. One state with a population of less than four million turned in a figure of nearly three million before it was told, it was not possible for a state of four million to have pre-school population of threemillion!A friend of mine some years ago told me they were collecting money to give to enumerators during a census operation and that it was necessary for them to do this in order to get “a respectable census figure!”

    I have read some commentators of the current election saying votes in Akwa Ibom, Delta and Rivers states were deliberately suppressed because their votes this time were lower than in 2015. Their votes in 2015 were deliberately inflated by the Jonathan regime. The late Dr Gabriel Akinola of the University of Ibadan,while writing on the 2015 elections said those three states of Delta, Riversand Akwa Ibom returned over 95% of their registered votes which he said,in electoral terms and in comparison with other parts of the world was “statistically impossible”. So what happened in 2019 reflects the true reality as much as possible. I have always wondered while Oyo State’s total number of votes is always abysmally low compared with votes from Kano, Katsina, Kaduna, Rivers, Delta and Akwa Ibom yet of the 10 most populous cities in Nigeria, three are in OyoState namely Ibadan, Ogbomoso and Oyo. The point I am making is that our population data is faulty and any analysis based on them are not likely to be correct. Unfortunately this is the reality and we have to work with it until such a time the country is united enough to face its demographic daemon.

    The other myth that was broken during this election was the defeat of some of the politicians who have for ever abused the trust of their people to monopolize power in their own hands and as gods dispense this power to whoever they wish and also commandeer the resources of their states into their own pockets. Some were earning salaries as senators while also earning full salaries as former governors and collecting humongous allowances as senators as well as former governors. This went on for years while the poor seethed with anger until this last election provided them some release from their pent-up anger. Some have even said this election was some kind of struggle between the rich and the poor. There was an element of this in the election. Certainly the billionaire civil servants in Abuja and their lesser colleagues at state level do not like the TSA and BVN regime enforced by the Buhari regime and some of the oil and gas billionaires are also not sure if the searching light of poke nosing intelligence agents may smell them out. Whatever may be the fears of some politically exposed individuals, the drying up of the “awhoof” money in recent times has led to some resentment against the current regime. The election has been won by Buhari and it is left to him to write himself into the history of our country if he so desires and decides. In order for history to favour him, I suggest the president should do the following things.

    He cannot afford the mistake of the past where he allowed untrustworthy people to take the leadership of the legislative branch and frustrate his government by acting as cogs in the smooth implementation of his programmes. He and his party must impose discipline on party members and choose those who will lead the legislature so as to facilitate seamless governance.

    He must see the entire country as his own constituency and act accordingly. Therefore his ministers, advisers and security chiefs must reflect the ethnic diversity and differences of the country. It is obvious that there is a strong demand for structural changes in governance away from too much concentration of power in the centre. Without constitutional changes and with executive fiat, the president can decentralize the police force so that community, state and regional police are formed from existing police force with additional training and recruitment from able-bodied and willing young people who are currently roaming the streets.

    The federal ministry of agriculture should be abolished and its powers transferred to the states. The states should be empowered and mobilized for agricultural production in areas of their comparative advantage.Emphasis should be placed on mechanization away from the back-breaking hoe and cutlass peasant farming. Resources must also be transferred to the states to assist in the agricultural revolution towards diversifying the economy away from over dependence on oil and gas. The government must provide small and intermediate mills and other machines to add value to rice, corn,millet,cassava, sorghum and yams. Government should also subsidize farmers planting economic trees like cocoa, tea, coffee, sugar cane, cotton and gum Arabic with eye on export.The whole idea is to ensure food security and export of agricultural produce after adding value to them. The states should be encouraged to establish commodity boards to stabilize fluctuating prices and to facilitateexport, proceeds of which must go largely to producers with commodities board keeping a fraction for their operations.

    Funds of universal basic education and the entire programme should be transferred to the states for proper monitoring so that the states can see themselves as stakeholders of the programme. In conjunction with states primary and secondary school, education must be revived and their infrastructure revamped.

    The current ministry of works and housing needs to be reorganized on zonal basis and appropriate mechanisms for project funding should be provided while a regime of closer supervision and execution of projects should be put in place. Government should continue with its well-articulated transportation projects in railways, aviation and roads and bridges construction. In all these, contractors must be prevailed upon, as deliberate government policy, to hire young Nigerian engineers in large numbers for training and retraining for which government must be ready to compensate the contractors.

    The federal ministry of health needs to be better funded especially in the area of epidemiology and disease prevention. The referral hospitals made up of the university teaching hospitals need adequate funding and equipment and at least six zonal super teaching hospitals out of the university teaching hospitals should be chosen and adequately provided for. Doctors coming out of medical schools must transit seamlessly from academic programmes to their professional internship programmes.

    Within six months of the second term, the embarrassment and shame of Apapa and Tin Can ports and their roads tie up must be resolved. This should go pari passu with opening up the existing ports in the Delta and South-south zone and diverting of cargo there to relieve Lagos of the killing burden of shouldering the shipping business of Nigeria.

    There is a need for a government to have a new industrial policy that will combine private investment with state promoted industries in areas where there are no private investors. This may be frowned upon by the high priests of private enterprises and free market forces who in their countries promote their state enterprises while denouncing the same practice in weaker economies of developing countries.

    Developmental projects directed towards the oil producing communities not necessarily the states must be thought of and embarked upon.

    The fight against corruption must continue and whatever is retrieved and recovered must be accounted for. All the savings and blockage against stealing of state funds as constituted by the TSA must be accounted for and deployed in ways everybody will see and acknowledge and commend this government.  In this regard the civil service must be reduced not through sacking but through attrition and non-replacement of retirees.

    In all these suggestions, Buhari must run an open and transparent administration designed to inspire the citizens of this country. His cabinet must be the best this country can produce and could include some of the young people who have recently showed interest in politics following the president’s signing of the “not too young to rule” law.

    There is a need for the president to ask for advice from friendly nations on what to do to secure this country from marauding herders and terrorists masquerading as jihadists. In this regard, the president needs to replace his security chiefs and try new hands and adopt new tactics to tackle the incendiary problems confronting the country. All these suggestions will need considerable level of socio-political mobilization.The president should mobilize all students in tertiary institutions during their vacations and other unemployed young people for some of his programmes.

    If it is clear to everybody that the president truly belongs to them he will succeed and his name will be written in gold in the annals of this country’s history.

  • Capital market sets agenda for Buhari’s second term

    Capital market leaders and experts at the weekend were unanimous on the agenda for the Buhari administration. The government, they said, should focus on infrastructural development, the anti-corruption campaign and effective balancing of fiscal and monetary policies to hasten economic growth.

    In reactions to the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari for a second and final term of four years, capital market regulators, operators, investors and analysts said the political stability indicated by the re-election should translate into greater economic development through re-evaluation and consolidation of existing policies and programmes.

    Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS) President, Mr. Adedapo Adekoje, said Buhari should consolidate on the developmental programmes he started in his first term in office with more emphasis on bridging the infrastructural deficit.

    According to him, the new government should have a clear focus on fiscal policy that will result in double-digit growth in the economy.

    He said the government should build efficiency into its policy implementation by appointing technocrats into the new cabinet while priority should be given to job creation through favourable policies for the development of small and medium enterprises.

    “Capital market practitioners should be involved in policy formulation, knowing that the capital market is the barometer of the economy. There should also be a balance between monetary and fiscal policies; government should also encourage multinational companies and some government companies to embrace the capital market for long-term funds,” Adekoje said.

    Registrar/Chief Executive Officer, Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers (CIS), Mr Adedeji Ajadi, said the government should make concerted effort to foster unity and run an inclusive government that draws on Nigeria’s best hands locally and internationally develop the country.

    He pointed out that various strategies to drive faster economic growth, increased employment and reduced poverty must be activated urgently, noting that with unity of purpose and support from all Nigerians, the country will achieve better results over the next four years.

    “Government must continue on the path of infrastructural development, fight against corruption and improved security. Power and roads are particularly critical to any developmental efforts,” Ajadi said.

    President, Association of Stockbroking Houses of Nigeria (ASHON), Chief Patrick Ezeagu, emphasised the need for collective approach by the government, urging the President to immediately commence efforts to unify Nigerians around the common objectives of the government.

    “This is the only way the government can engender peace, unity and cohesion needed to pull the nation together for meaningful ‘next level’ progress,” Ezeagu said.

    President, Association for the Advancement of Rights of Nigerian Shareholders (AARNS), Dr. Faruk Umar, said the President should put more effort at improving power supply, which will reduce industries’ reliance on fuel oil and diesel and make them to be more productive and profitable.

    He said the government should sustain its foreign exchange management that has given investors confidence in the Nigerian market.

    “The President needs to list companies like Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the refineries, and so on, to prevent somebody from selling them to individuals or foreign investors in the future . The government can retain 90 per cent and sell 10 per cent to Nigerian investors across the 36 states of the federation,” Umar said.

    According to him, there should be more concerted efforts to promote the usage of made-in-Nigeria products by Nigerians by stopping the importation of certain products that Nigeria has sufficient capacity to produce.

    “The government needs to expedite action on the reconstitution of the board of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). This will give confidence to foreign and local investors. The government should also be commended for its fight against corruption, this is giving foreign investors a lot of confidence, but a lot needs to be done. Finally, the issue of multiple taxations should seriously be looked into, as this is one factor discouraging foreign investment in the country,” Umar said.

    Chief Executive Officer, Sofunix Investment and Communications Limited, Mr. Sola Oni, called on the new government to review all outstanding projects and plug the gaps, noting that some policies are ineffectual because of lack of proper engagement on the actual challenges of different sectors.

    According to him, macro-economic uncertainty remains the elephant in the house and it should be a major concern to the government at this juncture. “There are laudable programmes that can reinvigorate the economy, but Nigerians are yearning for traction,” he said.

    The government, he said, should privatise and list moribund companies on the stock market to generate revenue, deepen the capital market and enhance the companies’ ability to create employment.

    “The government should embark on deliberate and consistent investment in infrastructure as there are still gaps to be addressed. I will also urge the government to intervene in attracting new listings of multinational companies and the local ones to the capital market through effective incentives. They need to come up with equitable tax regime and restore confidence into SEC by constituting its board and appointing substantive director general,” Oni said.

    He added that government should review pension law and guidelines to increase the percentage of funds that pension fund managers can invest in the stock market as part of the strategies to deepen the market.

  • ‘Buhari’s second term will improve economy’

    Chairman of the Delta State All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council Dr. Alex Ideh has said the second term of President Muhammadu Buhari will usher in economic prosperity in terms of job creation, social welfare package and direct foreign investments into the country.

    In a congratulatory message to the president, Ideh attributed the President’s victory to the people’s trust in him, and their resilience through hard times in the first term. The electorate, he said, believed that the second term would yield positive relief to the people.

    The statement reads: “Many Nigerians said they were ready to endure for another four years since the President is rebuilding the economy that was almost comatose at the time he took over in 2015. That trust won’t be a disappointment in the second term.

    “Mr. President will decisively shore up the space to improve the economy. He’s fully aware of the complaints of the people; therefore, in his second term, he has promised a renewed commitment to deliver a better and improved economy using a stronger economic team that would usher in economic prosperity which is the promised Next Level.”

    Ideh urged Nigerians to support and pray for God’s guidance and wisdom for Mr. President and his team. He also prayed for sound health and truly committed people for the President in his mission of national rebirth and reconstruction. “Buhari means well for the country, therefore, he needs people of like-minds to navigate the ship of the state to a safe harbour. These, I believe God will give him,” he added.

  • ‘Buhari’s second term will bring succour to Nigerians’

    Mack Ogbamosa is the Lagos State Co-ordinator of the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO), which was originally called Buhari Media Support Group. In this interview with Deputy Political Editor RAYMOND MORDI, Ogbamosa, who is a lawyer and a journalist, explains what the BMO is all about, why it is supporting President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term bid and some of the challenges it has encountered in doing so.

    What is the BMO all about?

    It is a made up of professionals who are committed to championing the ideals of President Muhammadu Buhari and canvassed for support for his election and now his re-election. We are volunteers committed to championing his cause, because we believe he has the right character to lead the country.

    Why are you supporting President Buhari’s re-election?

    We believe in his virtues of integrity, honesty, trust-worthiness and discipline, which are ingredients for the development of this country. Nigerians are poor not because we do not have resources to make the country rich. We have more than enough, but most of our leaders (military and civilian) at different times mismanaged our resources and unleashed poverty on the people. Instead of promoting honesty and trust in leadership, they enthroned corruption and indiscipline. Monies voted for contracts were embezzled; projects were poorly executed or abandoned. Some of us supporting the President were already adults when he was a military Head of State between 1983 and 1985. We witnessed the display of some of his virtues at the time. The queuing culture he instituted as part of the War Against Indiscipline (WAI) is one of the few lasting legacies the military regimes that ruled the country left behind. All those that have interacted with him, including former President Olusegun Obasanjo who was his senior in the military and under whom he worked as Commissioner (now Minister) of Petroleum and Natural Resources, have attested to his good character. On my own part, I have been privileged to work with Prince Tony Momoh (a man with similar virtues) on Buhari Media Campaign Organisation where we have been canvassing support for the President since 2003 when he first ventured into the race.

    How do you expect to be rewarded for your efforts?

    Our reward will come primarily from the victory of President Muhammadu Buhari at the elections. We are convinced that his victory will bring succour to the entire citizens of this country, including us. With good leadership, poverty will be reduced, if not completely eradicated. With good leadership, our infrastructure will be put in place. There will be regular power supply, good road and rail networks, development of small, medium and large scale industries, rise in level of employment and boost of our per capita income. We are already seeing evidence of some of these in the less than four years of President Buhari. We have also seen the completion of abandoned projects which is rare in this country. Virtually every government wants to abandon or re-award contracts that were originally awarded by its predecessors to serve the cause of corruption. Buhari has said no to this trend. We are patriots who believe in the promotion of good governance in the country.

    Why are you mobilising support for the President through the BMO rather than through the Buhari Campaign Organisation?

    All the Buhari Support Groups, including the BMO, are under the Buhari Presidential Campaign Council. Most of these groups, including ours, have always been there mobilising for the President. Unlike the Presidential Campaign Council, which was recently inaugurated, these groups were not formed primarily for the purpose of 2019 elections. Some of them, including the BMO, will continue to exist even after the election.

    What are the challenges you have encountered so far in trying to sell his candidature to Nigerians?

    Our challenges have been that many Nigerians are not aware of the positive impact of government of President Buhari on the citizens. They are not aware that government contracts are no longer inflated to make provisions for the President and his aides. They are not aware that government money is no longer being used to campaign for the election of the President. They are not aware of the fact that unlike today, Boko Haram took its war even to Abuja before this dispensation. We are aware that President Buhari has not met all the expectations of Nigerians. In fact, no president or government in the world can. But we are also aware that he has substantially fulfilled his promises to the citizens, especially in the areas of security, the fight against corruption, infrastructural development and social welfare. What is paramount in our campaign to Nigerians is that the President has what it takes to improve on what he has done. Judging by his impeccable character as a man of integrity and honesty, Nigerians can rely on him to do what he says he would do. Making a choice between Buhari and other notable presidential candidates is like choosing between day and night. It is a clear choice. That is what we are saying. Our task is to convince Nigerians that giving the resources available to the government, the President has done very well.

    Are you not discouraged by the fact that many Nigerians are expressing displeasure over his performance in close to four years?

    No. I’m not. As I said earlier, the President has not been able to fulfill all his promises. Remember that the President is mortal. For sometimes during these four years, he was indisposed. But unlike other leaders who will tell lies, this President accepts his failures.  He does not claim what he did not do. Unlike other leaders who will steal the nation’s wealth, this President will use our resources for the good of the common man. In spite of the unexpected obstacles, the President has achieved much. He is ready to correct the mistakes of the past. This is why he should be re-elected for a second term to consolidate on the gains so far recorded in the areas of infrastructural development, the fight against corruption and insecurity.

    How do you recruit members of your organisation and how are you funded?

    As I said earlier, our organisation is a not-for-profit association with members recruited on volunteerism. We are on the mainstream media and social media like Facebook and Twitter. Our current Chairman is Chief Niyi Akinsiji. Members are patriots who believe in the virtues of integrity, honesty and discipline which are the hallmarks of President Buhari. They use their resources to promote the good works of the administration.

  • Buhari’s second term will consolidate Nigeria’s development, says Gwamna

    Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO), Dr. Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term would mark the consolidation of Nigeria’s development through his anti-corruption battles and increase the reputation of the country in the comity of responsible nations.

    Dr. Gwamna made the assertion when he paid solidarity visit on the Bauchi State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed A. Abubakar, to congratulate him on his victory at the recent governorship primary of All Progressives Congress (APC) at the Government House, Bauchi.

    The KEDCO boss, who recently joined the APC in his home state of Gombe, disclosed that the forthcoming general election would mark a new beginning for the progressives, stressing that Buhari has laid the necessary foundation to grow the economy and increase the well-being of Nigerians.

    He urged Governor Abubakar not to be dismayed by the defection of certain former members of APC saying that those who do not belong to APC in spirit and body have left to give room to those who appreciate the integrity quotient of President Buhari.

    “What is happening in the country is like a shaking. Politicians who are not totally committed to service to the people would be displaced from APC, because they must have seen that the President does not condone looting and impunity.

    “Your Excellency, I am amazed by the monumental achievements you have recorded in the past three years. It is this commitment to service and love for the masses that attracted me to APC and I believe when President Buhari comes back for his second term, Nigerians would see how great the country would be,” Gwamna stated.

    He assured the governor that he would work assiduously to ensure that APC captures the entire Northeast, noting that plans to make Gombe join the fold of progressive state have commenced in earnest with his entry into the party.

    Earlier Governor Abubakar praised Gwamna for his foresight and unparalleled efforts in stabilising KEDCO, pointing out that he joined APC at the right time to help make the founding of a new Nigeria realistic.

     

  • Ondo celebrates Akeredolu’s one year in office, backs Buhari’s second term

    Ondo celebrates Akeredolu’s one year in office, backs Buhari’s second term

    The week-long activities marking the first anniversary of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s administration in Ondo State ended yesterday with the endorsement of President Muhammadu Buhari for second term in office by the state government and the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the state. Akeredolu, who spoke at a rally organised by the state chapter of the APC to mark the occasion, noted that the state has resolved to support Buhari to win next year’s presidential election.

    According to him, President Buhari deserved a second term in office for his good governance. He said the government of Buhari was laid on the foundation of truth and fairness, which led to various achievements recorded in the fight against corruption, recovery of looted funds and protection of the country’s image before the international community, among others.

    Besides, the governor sought the support of the people to enable his administration achieve greater things in the years ahead. Akeredolu, who was full of praises to God and the citizenry for rallying round his administration to record many feats in the past one year, said without their support, it would have been difficult for his administration to achieve that much in such a little time.

    The governor particularly singled out his wife, Betty; the leadership of the Assembly led by its Speaker, Bamidele Oleyelogun and his deputy, Iroju Ogundeji; APC state chairman, Ade Adetimehin; National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun and President Buhari for their support to his administration. He acknowledged the mutual understanding of the state lawmakers, describing them as lovers of the sunshine state.

    Other speakers at the rally included the National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Oyegun, Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki, Ogun State Governor Senator Ibikunle Amosun, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Kayode Fayemi and the Deputy National Chairman of the APC, Segun Oni, called on Nigerians to support the Buhari administration.

    Other dignitaries who graced the unity rally included the Minister of State for Niger/Delta Development, Prof. Cladius Daramola, National Vice Chairman (South west) of the APC, Chief Pius Akinyelure, Osun State Commissioner for Regional Integration, Bola Ilori, and former governorship candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in the state, Chief Olusola Oke.