The Nation Newspaper

Tag: embarrassment

  • Maina’s recall an embarrassment, says APC

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday called for punishment for those involved in the reinstatement of former Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Pension Reforms Abdulrasheed Maina.

    National Publicity Secretary Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi told reporters at the APC secretariat that Maina’s recall had attracted public debate and now a big embarrassment to the party and the government.

    He said “We are all shocked like any other person. It is almost unbelievable that such a thing can happen. However, we are all delighted that President Buhari has taken very decisive and punitive action against those that are involved. We are also delighted that he has ordered full scale investigation into the circumstances the led to this individual being reinstated into the public office.

    “We believe as a party that whoever was part of this or found to be part of this must face appropriate consequences because it is an embarrassment to the party, government and it is unacceptable.”

    On the failure of the president to act on the previous reports on his table and the guarantee that he will act on the outcome of the investigation into the recall of Maina, he said: “I cannot comment on this because it is the same President that has taken a decisive action on this that still has the other reports. In his wisdom, he must have a reason and unless we know those reasons, we cannot come to conclusions that he has not acted.

    “We have to be willing to admit that in his judgement, he does not have all the facts because we are not sitting in that chair. We have no more doubt in our minds that the President will do what is necessary and do what is right. But he does not have to act because everybody wants him to act. He has to exercise the best judgement at all time.”

  • Moghalu: Onyebuchi’s impeachment, a national embarrassment

    The National Auditor of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief George Moghalu, has described the recent impeachment of the Enugu State Deputy Governor, Mr. Sunday Onyebuchi, as an embarrassment to democracy.

    The former National Secretary of the  defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, told newsmen in Abuja that impeaching the deputy governor for allegedly running  a poultry farm was ridiculous and unheard of.

    He said those who drafted the 1999 Constitution intended impeachment clause  only as a means of checking the excesses of the executive, pointing out that it was ridiculous that the deputy governor was not impeached for stealing or misappropriating government money.

    He said: “What happened in Enugu State is an embarrassment. It is absolute madness as far as I’m concerned. The legislatures themselves should please ask themselves questions whether they are doing this in the interest of democracy,” he said.

    On whether the party is considering adopting the principle of zoning in selecting its presidential candidate, he said: “One thing I know for certain which I can tell you is that we are going to provide the enabling environment for everybody to express him or herself. As a party, we have agreed that there will not be any imposition. We want a situation where the best candidate will emerge.

    “But when you are looking at zoning, you must not also lose sight of the fact that in our constitution, there is provision for federal character, there is provision for balance and for you to achieve this, you must, out of political exigency, be compelled to bring in zoning.”

  • Embarrassment of riches

    Embarrassment of riches

    The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) yearly report for 2012, released penultimate weekend is sanguine and disturbing at the same time. It is sanguine because, the Federal Government earned a massive N8trillion from oil and another N2.63trillion naira from non-oil exports, totalling N10.65 trillion earnings for the 2012 fiscal year. That sum exceeded the N9.6trillion budget benchmark for that year. The impressive earning was attributed to buoyed oil and non-oil receipts for the fiscal year; and after deductions, the federation account was richer by N6.5 trillion naira. Unfortunately, that is where the good news ended.

    The news turns bad upon a fruitless search for the impact of such a humongous earning on the general welfare of Nigerians and the physical infrastructure of our country. The news makes one sad, when virtually in all sectors of the economy the story is one of gloom. And the reason for the abysmal failure is because substantial part of that money is stolen, such that despite a yearly huge budget, there are insignificant changes in the country.

    Notoriously also, the federal legislature and the executive are always at loggerheads over the non-implementation of the federal annual budget. Also, the state governments have been quarrelling with the Federal Government over the non-release of their financial entitlement from the federation account, as at when due.

    In the year under review, as in the previous years, the tale has been one of less than 40 percent implementation of the annual budget, by the Federal Government. Indeed, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Ahmed Maccido, admitted in an interview, that the Federal Government was only able to implement 40 percent of the 2012 capital budget. Yet, in the current year, there is no record of the money saved. So what could be wrong with our country’s economy that while it earns enough to meet its yearly budgetary plans, it spends far less, and yet can account for so little?

    The result of the unaccountable state of our finances is also at the root of the incessant disagreements between the Federal Government and the states. This year alone, on more than three occasions, the accountants of the state governments have had to walk out of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee meetings in protest, because the federal authorities were unable to give them a satisfactory account of the income due to the federation account. Similar embarrassing scenarios also played out in the year under review; and each time, the matter is resolved more out of courtesy for the Federal Government, than based on satisfying the imponderables in the query over the federation finances by the states.

    But for the purposes of accountability, it would have been far more soothing for Nigerians not to be also psychologically abused by the unsavoury tales of federation finances. Of course with a very humiliating physical impact of a mismanaged economy on the majority of Nigerians who live on less than 1USD a day, the tales of humongous earnings with minimal impact on their daily lives is like adding salt to injury. This humiliation is also attenuated by the elected and selected officials living like medieval kings and princes, while telling the rest of Nigerians fairy tales that the country is either cash-strapped or broke.

    For whatever it is worth, there is need for a better management of our economy. Where there are glaring disparities between income and expenditure, the people in charge of punishing for economic crimes stand indicted for failing to punish for the lapses. So, let our criminal justice system stand to be counted, to help Nigerians account for its huge earnings, with little impact.

  • Scarcity of kerosene a national embarrassment, says Peterside

    Scarcity of kerosene a national embarrassment, says Peterside

    The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources, (Downstream), Dakuku Peterside, has described the lingering kerosene crisis across the country as a national embarrassment,

    He spoke in Calabar in continuation of his committee’s oversight visit to Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) and private oil facilities in the Port Harcourt area.

    Peterside, who spoke with officials of PPMC, marketers, retailers and consumers of DPK, said the kerosene scarcity was a denial of basic rights of ordinary Nigerians.

    He said: “This scarcity is a national embarrassment and with every reported scarcity in any part of the country, we feel diminished as a people. Therefore we must address it because it is unacceptable. Our people should not suffer. There is no reason to suffer in the midst of plenty. For me, the big question is: where is DPK disappearing to despite huge importation by government.”

    He said the availability of kerosene should be taken for granted by Nigerians, particularly those in the low income cadre who have suffered this unusually long crisis.

    Peterside commended the management and staff of Northwest Petroleum and Gas Company for making kerosene available to the people. He urged the company to sustain the service, which has reduced the burden of sourcing the product in Calabar metropolis and beyond.

    He also visited Northwest mega station in Calabar, where he interacted with consumers of the product who had formed long queues at the filling station prior to his arrival.

    At the Calabar office of PPMC, independent marketers spoke through their chairman, Michael Udofia. According to them, kerosene was only available in private depots at exorbitant price.

    Udofia said: “And this is why it is difficult to sell at government approved prices to end users.”

    Peterside addressed retailers who came to protest to members of his committee about the worsening situation in Calabar and its environs. He assured them that the legislature would not look the other way while Nigerians suffer.

    He said: “We are going to urgently set up a sub-committee to address this issue. I can assure you.”

    The chairman also promised that his committee would look into the catalogue of challenges facing operators in the sector.

    The committee also visited the Calabar Free Trade Zone and Governor Liyel Imoke, who commended the committee for its efforts in addressing challenges in the downstream sector of the economy.

  • Pastors with private jets an embarrassment –Bishop Kukah

    Pastors with private jets an embarrassment –Bishop Kukah

    The acquisition of private jets by Christian leaders diminishes the moral voice of the church in the fight against corruption, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev Matthew Kukah, declared yesterday.

    He spoke against the backdrop of the presentation of a private jet to the National President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor, by members of his church during the celebration of his 40th anniversary in the ministry penultimate Saturday.

    Kukah, who was guest speaker at the annual Founder’s Day Anniversary lecture of Providence Baptist Church in Lagos, described exhibition of such opulence by church leaders as embarrassing.

    The fiery cleric who spoke on ‘Church and the state in the pursuit of the common good’, said: “The stories of corrupt men and women being given recognition by their churches or mosques as gallant sons and daughters and the embarrassing stories of pastors displaying conspicuous wealth as we hear from the purchases of private jets and so on clearly diminish our moral voice.”

    Kukah, who was represented by the Administrator of Holy Cross Cathedral Lagos, Rev. Monsignor Pascal Nwaezeapu, also expressed displeasure with the perceived closeness of the CAN leadership to the corridors of powers.

    He said such alliance will weaken the ability of the church to speak the truth to elected public office holders.

    According to him: “CAN has become more visible in relation to national prayer sessions, pilgrimages, alliances with state power and so on.

    “Unless we distance ourselves, we cannot speak the truth to power. We cannot hear the wails of the poor and the weak. We should not be seen as playing the praying wing of the party in power.”

    He challenged the church to speak against corruption in low and high places, saying such responsibility must never be jettisoned for any reason.

    Apart from Orisejafor, other church leaders who own private jets include Founder of Living Faith Ministries, Bishop David Oyedepo; General Overseer of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Pastor Enoch Adeboye; Founder of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission (TREM), Bishop Mike Okonkwo and Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy Church.