The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Okonjo-Iweala

  • Senate, Presidency on war path over budget

    Senate, Presidency on war path over budget

    …Warns Okonjo-Iweala over ‘incisive comments’

    The Senate and Presidency may be on war path as the upper chamber on Tuesday pushed consideration of the 2013 budget amendment to October.

    The upper chamber also warned the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Nogozi Okonjo-Iweala, against making unguarded comments that tends to pitch it with the Executive arm of government.

    Okonjo-Iweala was reported to have warned that the country’s economy would shut down in September if the National Assembly failed to consider and approve the 2013 budget amendment.

    The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information, Media and Public Affairs, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, said at a press conference in Abuja that the Senate will only consider the proposed amendment after its annual vacation.

    The Senate annual vacation begins an eight-week annual vacation on August 2 and ends on September 30, according to Senate’s amended legislative calendar.

    Abaribe said that Senators were at a loss when they read comments attributed to Okonjo-Iweala that the inaction of the National Assembly on the 2013 amendment budget will cripple the national economy.

    Okonjo-Iweala’s comments, he said, did not go down well with the Senate.

    He said that the Senate does not expect any minister or an appointee of the President to make comments which could set the Executive and the Legislature on a collision path.

    He said the implication of the minister’s comment is that the two arms of government are on a collision course.

    President Goodluck Jonathan is expected to send the 2014 Appropriation Bill to the National Assembly in September.

    If the 2013 amendment budget which Abaribe described as “humongous” is not considered before the end of September, it means that the National Assembly will have two sets of budgets to consider and approve.

    Abaribe said, “Let me say that we were very perplexed when we read comments allegedly made by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the Economy with respect to the budget.

    “First of all, the Senate does not view the comments made kindly.

    “The feeling of the Senate and indeed the National Assembly is that we do not expect ministers of the Federal Republic and appointees of Mr. President to make comments that tend to give the impression of a collision course between the Executive and the Legislature because we are all working towards the same purpose and our purpose is to make sure that we take care of the welfare of Nigerians.”

     

  • Nigeria ‘may pay’ 6% yield for Eurobond

    Nigeria ‘may pay’ 6% yield for Eurobond

    Nigeria will likely have to pay around six percent for a 10-year maturity on its $1 billion Eurobond if it goes ahead with the issue after a debt meeting with investors next week, an analyst and a fund manager have said.

    Senior Nigerian government officials led by Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala started a one-week roadshow to Britain, Germany and the United States on Wednesday with book-runners for the Eurobond, with a view to issuing it this year.

    The timing of the bond and its maturity have not been decided yet and will depend on the market, a London-based fund manager who attended the roadshow told Reuters, asking not to be named.

    Nigeria’s debt office had said it wanted to sell the bond by end-September and that it was increasing the amount it borrows overseas to lower funding costs.

    Deutsche Bank and Citigroup are acting as book-runners for the Eurobond.

    “If they went for a 10-year they could get one in the region of six percent,” said the fund manager, adding that Nigeria may hold back on the sale to minimise the yield.

    Yields on emerging market debt have risen sharply over the past six weeks owing to lingering concerns that major central banks may start to back off loose monetary policies that kept global markets awash with cash.

    Yields on Nigeria’s 10-year domestic bond spiked nearly three percent this month while stocks and the naira tumbled last week, as foreign investors dumped frontier market assets.

     

     

  • FAAC: FG, states, LGs agree to clear arrears

    FAAC: FG, states, LGs agree to clear arrears

    Following the dramatic walk-out by state commissioners of finance from the last Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting in Abuja last week, the three tiers of government have agreed to clear the controversial arrears that brought about the walk-out.

    Addressing journalists at the end of a meeting initiated by President Goodluck Jonathan to resolve the crisis, the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said the three tiers of government “have agreed on what the arrears are and how much they are and we are going to clear them.”

    She explained that the FAAC accumulated some arrears when trying to put our accounts together and that would be cleared.

    She insisted that there was “no debt and no agreement to sign, it’s a federation account issue we are all in it together.”

    Asked to explain the nature of the arrears and to give the timeline for clearing the arrears, the Minister of State for Finance and Chairman of FAAC, Dr. Yerima Lawan Ngama said “we had shortages in revenue so the amount that we had statutorily reduced for the three tiers of government including the federal government.”

    Earlier, the chairman of the committee set up by the president to resolve the impasse and Governor of Bauchi State Alhaji Isa Yuguda said, “an agreement has been reached on the Federation Account to resolve all outstanding issues to do with the Federation Accounts. As part of this, a commitment to settle the arrears of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) payments has been agreed.”

     

  • Fed Govt uncovers 46, 821 ghost workers, says Okonjo-Iweala

    Fed Govt uncovers 46, 821 ghost workers, says Okonjo-Iweala

    • Nigeria’s total debt now N7.5tr

    The Federal Government has uncovered 46,821 ghost workers in 215 Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government (MDAs).

    It also put the country’s total debt at N7.5trillion- made up of foreign borrowing of $6.6 billion (N1.04 trillion) and domestic debt of N6.46 trillion.

    Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of finance Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala made these known yesterday in Abuja during the presentation at the 2013 ministerial platform.

    She said these discoveries were made after the introduced the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS)

    The minister said: “The Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System enhances efficient personnel cost planning and budgeting as personnel cost will be based on actual verified numbers and not estimates. 215 MDAs (153,019 staff) are on IPPIS as at January 2013 and work is ongoing to bring in other 321 MDAs not yet on IPPIS. About 46,821 ghost workers have also identified.”

    The discovery of the ghost workers she said, was part of government’s reform measures aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of its resources.

    She said the government was able to do this through the introduction of the Treasury Single Account, which is a unified structure of government bank accounts that gives a consolidated view of the cash position.

    Okonjo-Iweala also said that the government has reduced the rate at which it overdraws on its accounts from N102 billion in 2011 to N19 billion in 2012.

    The minister explained that the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has helped to reduce how the government account is being overdrawn.

    With the introduction of the Government Integrated Financial Management and Information System (GIFMIS) in April 2012, Okonjo-Iweala said 58 per cent of the nation’s budget are now executed through the GIFMIS platform. She said this has helped to boost the speedy execution of the government budget.

    The GIFMIS is aimed at improving the acquisition, allocation, utilisation and conservation of public financial resources using automated and integrated, effective, efficient and economic information systems.

    She said budget execution is expected to rise to 79 per cent by end of third quarter 2013.

    In order to increase non oil revenues, the minister said that through tax enforcement mechanism, the government has recovered over N10.65 billion as outstanding tax liabilities.

    Okonjo-Iweala added that the modernization of tax administration and operation had helped the government register 227,140 new tax payers in 2012 alone.

  • Fed Govt cuts back on overdrawing from account, says Okonjo-Iweala

    •Identifies 46,821 ghost workers

    The Federal Government has reduced the rate at which it overdraws on its accounts from N102billion in 2011 to N19 billion in 2012.

    The government is able to do this through the introduction of the Treasury Single Account “which is a unified structure of government bank accounts that gives a consolidated view of the cash position.”

    The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, broke the news yesterday in Abuja when she made her presentation at the 2013 ministerial platform.

    She said the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has helped to reduce how government account is being overdrawn.

    Said she: “Ninety-three MDAs are on TSA. Government’s overdrawn position has dropped from N102bn in 2011 to N19bn in 2012.”

    The Minister of Finance disclosed that the Federal Government has discovered a total of 46,821 ghost workers in 215 Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Government (MDAs).

    According to her, the discoveries were made after they introduced the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS).

    Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said: “The Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System enhances efficient personnel cost planning and budgeting as personnel cost will be based on actual verified numbers and not estimates. Two hundred and fifteen MDAs (153,019 staff) are on IPPIS as at Jan 2013 and work is ongoing to bring in other 321 MDAs not yet on IPPIS. About 46,821 ghost workers have also been identified.”

    The discovery of the ghost workers, she said, “is part of government’s reform measures aimed at ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of its resources.”

    With the introduction of the Government Integrated Financial Management and Information System (GIFMIS) in April 2012, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said 58 per cent of the nation’s budget are executed through the GIFMIS platform and this “has helped to boost the speedy execution of the government budget.”

    She said: “GIFMIS is aimed at improving the acquisition, allocation, utilisation and conservation of public financial resources, using automated and integrated, effective, efficient and economic information systems. Budget execution is expected to rise to 79 per cent by the end of third quarter in 2013.”

    To increase non-oil revenues, the minister said “through tax enforcement mechanism, the government has recovered over N10.65billion as outstanding tax liabilities.”

    Dr. Okonjo-Iweala added that “the modernisation of tax administration and operation helped the government register 227,140 new tax payers in 2012 alone.”

    With regards to the country’s debt, the Finance Minister said the country’s total debt stands at N7.5trillion made up of foreign borrowing of $6.6 billion (N1.04 trillion). Domestic debt stands at N6.46 trillion.

    She denied claims that Nigeria was becoming a highly indebted nation and insisted that the country’s national debt was still low.

     

    She said the government, in trying to reduce domestic borrowing, was taking advantage of interest free loans from international financial organisations.

     

  • Okonjo-Iweala mocks critics of economy

    Okonjo-Iweala mocks critics of economy

    …Liken GDP to sponge cake

    Finance Minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala held up a sponge cake representing the Gross Domestic Product to an audience of amused officials on Monday, as she sought to rebuff critics who say Nigeria’s strong economic growth has failed to lift millions out of poverty.

    Likening Nigeria to a household, she urged the country to focus on the government’s plan to become one of the world’s top 20 economies by 2020, which she said would be crucial to solving its other problems like high unemployment and poverty. It would mean doubling the current growth rate to 13 percent, she said.

    “Having this cake does not mean that every problem in your household is solved,” she said, holding up a sponge with figurines of a family on it, at a televised conference.

    “But you have one wife and three children and … if you have only this cake you’re going to be suffering. You want this cake to grow,” she added, swapping the sponge for a much bigger one, prompting a wave of laughter.

    Reuters says foreign bond and equity investors are taking a growing interest in Africa’s second biggest economy, and President Goodluck Jonathan’s decision to bring Okonjo-Iweala back to Nigeria from her World Bank job in 2011 was well received.

    But she has had a mixed reception at home, with some politicians complaining she is too aloof and technocratic.

     

  • Okonjo-Iweala opposes removal of budget office from ministry

    Okonjo-Iweala opposes removal of budget office from ministry

    The Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Tuesday opposed any fiscal policy that would remove budgeting as part of the functions of the Federal Ministry of Finance.

    Okonjo-Iweala spoke at a Public Hearing organized by the Senate joint committee on National Planning, Economic Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, and Finance on a proposed review of National Planning and Budgeting Process in the country.

    The minister said the problem of stunted growth of the economy should not be blamed on budgeting and planning not being under one roof.

    The problem, she noted, is the reality of the underpinning income pattern.

    Underscoring the importance of fiscal coordination and monetary evaluation, the minister insisted that best practice world over dictates that separating capital budget and recurrent expenditure is not the best.

    For her, lack of diversification of the country’s economy remains the bane of the growth of the economy.

    She said that efforts are being made through the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan to address the issue of diversification of the economy.

     

  • Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other matters

    Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and other matters

    African Independent Television’s live coverage of the Mid-Term Report of Transformation Agenda was quite impressive. On parade were the President and his team members, armed with wonderful presentation and presence, focused on telling Nigerians and the world how much progress has been achieved, developing Nigeria. Good job, Ladies and Gentlemen. It was nice.

    Of particular interest was the presentation of the Minister of Finance/Coordinating Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Our own globally renowned economistwas in her element, as she reeled out figures to demonstrate how far we have gone as a nation. Of her entire presentation, those on job creation (through YouWIN) and penetration of telephone and internet access were particularly worrisome, unfortunately. But we shall focus on that of telephone, in which she said 93% of Nigerians now have access to telephones through the GSM service. Secondly, she presented that about 38% of Nigerians enjoy internet access.

    Sadly, Madam, those figures may not be true and accurate representation of the fact, as the general public knows it. With especially the GSM-gains, perhaps we need to question the source of that information. Incidentally, we at MC&A DIGESThave had to concern ourselves with the depth of Nigerian Communication Commission’s engagement in the discharge of its roles and functions and its benefits to Nigerian public, with special focus on the quality of telephone service provision by the GSM operators, their business practice and adherence to set rules and regulations, based on the growing disaffection of subscribers. In line with this commitment, we are looking closely at the NCC, on behalf of subscribers in Nigeria.

    On the whole, the Commission has exactly 24 functions as contained on the list of functions. Of the lot, we shall concern ourselves with the 4 listed below, for now (focusing on GSM operators):

    “The protection and promotion of the interests of consumers against unfair practices including but not limited to matters relating to tariffs and charges for and the availability and quality of communications services, equipment and facilities”. We like to know how this is being done In the face of prevalent poorservice quality, doubtful promotional offers, questionable billing system, exorbitant call and data transfer rate and general disaffection of the average GSM subscriber.

    “The promotion of fair competition in the communications industry and protection of communications services and facilities providers from misuse of market power or anti-competitive and unfair practices by other service or facilities providers or equipment suppliers”. What was the reason for the shabby execution of the commission’s function as stated above, when it went to town with its operators’ market dominance report, posting MTN (of all the operators) the dominant player in the voice data category? We need to know the criteria for such report. This unfortunate incidence has the potentials of tilting the market playing field and competitive environment in favor of MTN, when, indeed, MTN’s image in the mind of majority of respondents in our consumer rating survey on GSM operators and their service quality assessment, is not exactly what NCC’s report portrays.

    We advise and trust MTN not to celebrate the NCC “mistake” because it amounts to nothing as far as the subscriber-public is concerned. Therefore, even the commission that thinks it has carried out one of its functions has only wasted its time. The subscriber-public thinks that was an avoidable mistake – by all concerned.

    “The development and monitoring of performance standards and indices relating to the quality of telephone and other communications services and facilities supplied to consumers in Nigeria having regard to the best international performance indicators.”If NCC carried out this function professionally and properly, it would have avoided the mistake it made with its operators’ market statuspronouncement. Is it that the NCC still do not know that in some neighboring African Countries, text messages are free, or that for same service, subscribers in Nigeria are still being charged, as though they are paying for a voice data? If the commission knows that and we are still where we are with the service providers, how does that show that the commission is monitoring the performance standards and indices, performance standard…in line with international standard, in real value terms?

    Continuing, how come NCC still cannot do anything about growing call-drop rate, poor voice quality (between GSM service providers and MultiChoice/DSTV, we do not know who gets affected more when it rains), abrupt termination of calls and unfair billing, if it is monitoring standard and quality of service by service providers?

    “The formulation and management of Nigeria’s inputs into the setting of international technical standards for communications services and equipment.” While we are not in a position to rate the Commission on the extent of involvement in the development of input into Nigeria’s contribution towards the determination of the international technical standard for communications service and equipment, we do worry that, based on the quality of its service at home/locally, its competency and efficiency at carrying out its function as stated above needs to be verified.

    If NCC’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo was available when I made to see him during my stay in Abuja last month, May. Sadly, he was too busy to see me, and the attitude he did put up during the brief telephone conversation we had, when I was trying to get appointment for a meeting with him, was slightly inappropriate with the status of the office. Mr. Ojobo should know he owes it a duty to meet people and speak for and on behalf of the commission, when enquirers come-calling. Questions such as, “…yes!? What is it, what do you want? I do not know what you want to know about the Commission that do not already know…because we have put a lot of information in the public…bla, bla,bla do not leave the appropriate impression of that office and the commission.

    However, we can tell our readers, GSM subscribers in Nigeria, Mr. Ojobo and the Nigerian Communication Commission this much, MC&A Digest will commit to its own monitoring, assessment and rating of the GSM operators in our local market, executing its own self-appointed function of providing the general public a report on the GSM operators that they can more likely depend on in their decision-making process. We shall help them in their relationship with their network providers for their own good, since the NCC does not come across as willing to properly inform us in the same direction.

    Perhaps, just perhaps, the Coordinating Minister’s mid-term report on telecommunications service and Nigeria, would have, at least been more accurate to resonate with the Nigerian public on that jolly democracy Day on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, if the Nigerian Communication Commission did some more work. Let us remind the NCC, though, that there is one Aba based telecoms Lawyer, ChibuzorOgii Esq., who has challenged the NCC to assert its authority, if it is serious about balancing the market (Business News i-Resource, May 22, 2013). In the report, Ogii is quoted as saying “NCC should be serious when it makes pronouncement. It is one thing to appear as to the public as if it is working and another to prove that it is genuinely protecting the interest of the market. For instance, the dominant operator in the voice segment is yet to comply with the NCC directive”.

    The NCC, according to the report, had among other things, directed that the dominant player (according to them) in the mobile voice market should collapse on-net and off-net retail tariffs with immediate effectsince 2012. Apparently, Ogii’s worry is that that directive and some others were yet to be carried out by concerned market operators as at the time he was making his comments in May 2013.

    By the way, the invited guest to the Transformation Agenda’s Mid-Term report did say “…put your hands together…like you really mean it” when he called for applause for our President, during his speech. Now, did he have to say that, ahn! Who told him the honorable Ladies and Gentlemen that obliged his request didn’t mean it? Such should not be accepted next time O.

  • Okonjo-Iweala rallies filmmakers over N3bn grant

    Okonjo-Iweala rallies filmmakers over N3bn grant

    One of the criticisms that has aroused on the N3 billion grant which President Goodluck Jonathan promised the Nigerian motion picture industry on March 2, 2013, was that the Ministries of Finance and Culture, that have been assigned to manage the process of disbursement did not consult wide enough before choosing some filmmakers into a committee.

    But a Nollywood town hall meeting convened by Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and her counterpart in Culture and Tourism, Chief Edem Duke, at the weekend in Lagos, may have put this denigration to rest. About 200 filmmakers, representing various guilds and associations gathered at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Saturday, to jaw-jaw on the issue. The meeting also had the presence of officials of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and members of the corporate sector.

    Speaking to journalists after the meeting with the filmmakers, Okonjo-Iweala said she was happy that the filmmakers felt satisfied that they were consulted for the process.

    The Minister, who noted that the essence of the N3 billion grant was to encourage the filmmakers to up their game in the industry, disclosed that Film Distribution was identified as a major bottleneck of the industry. She promised that a large chunk of the fund will be targeted at achieving effective distribution and exhibition framework.

    “We have been brain-storming on this amount that the president has put forward, and how best to use it. We have a town hall meeting of about 200 people in the industry to try and get some idea about which direction to go in terms of disbursement. Distribution was identified as the biggest bottleneck and if we can figure out how to get distribution right, we can then unleash the creative energy of the film industry.”

    She stated that apart from tackling distribution problems, the fund will also be used to build capacity, encourage creativity and support production of films.

    Asked if the N3 billion will be enough to take care of the four areas of problems being identified, the Minister said that discussions are still ongoing and that the filmmakers still have one week to forward their suggestions. She said their views will be collated and used as blueprint for the disbursement of the fund.

    “We are still discussing; should we use the money in all the four arms or should we just use one? Some people have the view that we should focus on production, others are of the view that we should spread it a little more. We have given them one week for additional comments, on the ideas that were put forward. We are sending all the ideas to all the guilds, they will return to us in one week and then we will see through. But no matter what happened, solving distribution will take a large chunk of the fund.” She stated.

    Okonjo-Iweala assured that the process of accessing the fund will be transparent. She said beneficiaries will have to apply through the web, and there will be an independent panel of judges who will decide who gets the fund. “We want a level playing field in accessing it. So we are coming out with the criteria, including inputs from the industry about what requirements they must meet in other to access the fund. If you are doing script writing, for which we had originally proposed N200 million, you will have people who will judge whether your script meets certain requirements, including having good content for the viewers. If it is for capacity building, we are looking at what aspect of capacity you want to build. If it is for distribution, we will look at the bottlenecks being encountered. So there will be criteria; all we want is fairness and merit worthiness at accessing the money.”

    She added that the fund will be used to support all aspects of Nollywood, including regional and local language areas.

    In the words of Edem Duke, support plans by the Federal Government for the film industry will not end with the N3 million grant. He said government is determined to touch all aspects of the film industry because of its viability. He noted that the sector has become a major pillar in government’s cultural diplomacy. “Nigerians and Africans in the Diaspora have started to reconnect with their root. Nollywood has become a major factor for these people in redefining their origin and self esteem. It is therefore critical that the home industry must be strengthened and must be provided with support that is critical.”

    The filmmakers in their various remarks at the meeting expressed belief that there was clear intent on the side of the government to help the film industry. A member of the committee on Distribution, Mrs. Amaka Igwe praised the idea of involving the Finance Minister in the project. She described her as a woman whom she believes meant every word that she said.

    President Jonathan made the promise of N3 billion at a presidential dinner with filmmakers in Lagos. The largesse is a consolation for the effort of the filmmakers whom he said, have developed the industry in 20 years; starting from the release of Living in Bondage, the acclaimed first direct-to-VHS film phenomenon in the country.

  • Okonjo-Iweala, Shuaibu and the future of Nigeria

    Okonjo-Iweala, Shuaibu and the future of Nigeria

    There is indeed crisis in the land, a lachrymal crisis. We thought our institutions were decayed but the reality is that they have become interred under the debris of insouciance and leadership malady. The day has come in Nigeria when a civil servant, a much junior one at that, would take to the national newspaper to harangue a serving minister, call her names, blackmail her and put her on the defensive. Though badly savaged as it were, it is a sad day indeed for the civil service that ought to be the pillar on which other institutions are hoisted. It is a sad day for Nigeria’s public service and it sure portends a weird augury for the nation and her public service.

    I am talking of course about the small matter between the Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and a certain Mr. Yushau Shuaibu, who until a few days ago, held sway as the Public Relations Officer of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA. Shuaibu had recently, written an article in a national newspaper much impetuously, accusing the honorable minister of ethnic bias, favoritism, insensitivity and even throwing in a bit of intimidation, blackmail and threats in the matter of appointments in the ministry under the Minister’s purview.

    Hear a bit of Mr. Shuaibu: “Dr. Okonjo-Iweala should also note the blatant disregard for the sensitivities and sensibilities of others while arrogantly promoting only people from her tribe may expose them to hatred with potentially explosive consequences such as those experienced in the 1960s when most federal positions were occupied by a particular tribal group.”

    We ask, would Shuaibu have written such tendentious article if Okonjo-Iweala were Hausa-Fulani? Is it fair for a junior staff to put a minister through such indignity of publicly defending her official actions? What was Shuaibu thinking of committing such Civil Service sacrilege? Such gross insubordination is never condoned in the Service and Shuaibu ought to know that at his level unless he was minded to embark on a kamikaze. If every aggrieved civil servant went to the press to blackmail their bosses and undermine the institution, there would not be a Service left for Shuaibu to have joined in the first place. Even out of service, what manner of worker would go to the press to disparage his company’s chairman, board or management and still expect to keep his seat one day longer?

    Besides insubordination, there are issues of rascality, infantilism, ethnic jingoism and acute case of Igbophobia. Please how on earth does the specific case of the appointment of the head of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, affect Shuaibu so adversely to drive him into throwing such insolent words at a minister? This certainly is not part of his schedule of duties at NEMA. If he is so aggrieved, why would he not pass his petition through his boss who would forward it through the appropriate channels to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) or the Presidency?

    Is it possible that Okonjo-Iweala could act on a matter as weighty as the appointment of the FIRS chairman without the input of FEC members and the President’s express directives? For instance, the head hunt and selection for this job was said to have been carried out by Phillips Consulting. If government wants to fill that strategic position with a professional in the mold of Omoigui Okauru, the immediate past occupant, that is the prerogative of the President. If the search for a replacement is planked on merit, are we going to ab initio, bar Igbo professionals from the contest? Did Okonjo-Iweala mandate Phillips Consulting to look out solely for an Igbo?

    What is clearly Igbo mauling has continued unabated leaving a trend that cannot be ignored anymore. Things that public servants of other ethnic groups routinely get away with become a national crisis when an Igbo is involved. But this column will continue to point out that fair is fair.

    It is common knowledge here that appointees always populate their offices with their own kith and kin. Let a panel be raised to cross check this point and I wager that Igbo public office holders are not the worst offenders. There has been a long-standing allegation that the Central Bank has been converted to the Central Bank of Kano, (CBK), turban and all, no Shuaibu has gone to press with this. It is alleged that a grand employment racket is going on at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) which engendered the use of multiple websites and gave us that most titillating “my oga at the top” clanger. But for obviously a lesser offence, Mrs Rose Uzoamaka who headed the Immigration Service until recently, was chucked out of office as if she was leprous. Just because she is Igbo; the soft target.

    Recently, the Chief of Army Staff, General Azubuike Ihejirika, the first Igboman to hold that position in over 50 years! was subjected to media ‘bombardment’ over mere allegations of populating the army with his Igbo brothers. It was ok for over 50 years when other tribes, especially Hausa/Fulani held sway and filled up the military with their kind. No army boss was ever put through such impertinence of having to answer to the public for purely military decision. Ditto for Aviation Minister, Stella Oduah; there has been a song and dance that she has ‘Igbonise’ the sector and it does not matter that she is getting results; indeed, damn the results, her traducers seem to chant. It is all because they are Igbo, but we must not shy from singing this refrain.

    Until we elect to build this nation on fairness, equity and justice to all tribes, big or small, we will not make desired progress. I am all for ‘sensitivities and sensibilities’, to quote Shuaibu who I suspect would rather be a politician and columnist; federal character and all that merit killers are also desirable but let us do it based on facts and fairness. If only the Federal Character Commission would do its job by publishing annual report of recruitments and appointments in all MDGs. It rankles when one group acts as if it alone has license to impunity. If we have built our nation on impunity and injustice it is only fair that we all enjoyed the forbidden repast equally. Even as we bicker over one small appointment, the north is at the helm of most strategic positions in the land today from the judiciary to security agencies and specialized commissions. No Civil Servant has gone to the press on that.

    The Okonjo-Iweala versus Shuaibu affair boils down to the age-long tendency to bully Ndigbo in the Nigerian system. Igbo is Nigeria’s easy target. A sitting President once made a national broadcast on account of a ‘paltry’ N55m bribe-for-budget scandal while voiding at the court, a half a billion matter involving his cousin. Igbo is perceived as the proverbial ukwu nwanyi onye ara – the mad woman’s buttock which is at the pleasure of all manner of men.

    In summary, it has become obvious that we do not possess the filial concupiscence to sustain what would have been a wonderful Nigerian marriage. There does not seem to be a Nigerian future. We have pretended for too long that we are one people. We are not; we are a bland rainbow country, a queer amalgam of penguins, eagles and hawks – three great avian wonders but which must not be yoked in one coop. We must sit down and disengage peacefully, let us liberate ourselves so that those that fly would explore the skies; those that soar would sail, drone rocket-like, into untold horizons while those that walk would do so in regal majesty, unhindered and unperturbed by their hyperactive kindred. That is our future, really.