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Tag: tactics

  • Navy trains 139 cops in underwater tactics

    Navy trains 139 cops in underwater tactics

    One hundred and thirty-nine marine officers, trained in underwater tactics by the Navy, have graduated.

    The marine policemen, who were trained in three batches of 39, 50 and 50, graduated at the weekend, after a six-week intensive course at the Joint Maritime Security Training Centre  (JMSTC) in Navy Town, Ojo.

    The Flag Officer Commanding (FOC), Naval Training Command, Rear Admiral Obi Ofodile, said the Basic Marine Operations Course (BMOC) was aimed at improving the marine police’ ability in weapon and boat handling and maintenance.

    He said it acquainted them with the laws of the sea, search and rescue, chart work and rules of the sea.

    His words: “The training inculcated in them best global practices in seamanship, navigation and other specific areas of maritime operations. The JMSTC is one of the best in the continent. I have no doubt that despite the rigours of training, the participants have benefitted greatly from this citadel of learning.

    “You should, therefore, use the privilege of this training to improve yourself to meet the challenges ahead. It is pertinent to state that the security challenges confronting the country, especially in the maritime environment, needs the collaborative efforts of all security agencies, especially the Navy and police.

    “I appreciate the CNS and IGP for working out this training arrangement, which has not only brought the two services closer, but also enabled us to share knowledge. The Navy is ever ready to render necessary help to the police when called upon. As a maritime country endowed with enormous resources, the need to protect these resources becomes very necessary. I am highly delighted that the JMSTC has turned out this set of professionally trained and adept Marine Police Officers.”

    The JMSTC Commandant, Capt. Noel Madugu, said the trainings received were the start of their career in marine police operations.

    “The BMOC was developed to enhance the capability of the Marine department of the Nigeria Police for littoral and riverine operations, to enable them secure Nigeria’s maritime environment,l particularly the inland waters, effectively and efficiently.

    “Therefore, the objective of the course was to improve the knowledge of the participants in seamanship and navigation in line with international best practices,” Madugu said.

    The Inspector-General of Police (IG), Ibrahim Idris, said the gains realised from the pioneer trainees instigated the force to enrol others.

    Idris, who was represented by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of Maritime, Alkali Usman, said: “The initial batch was 39, and when we saw the improvement, we sent 100 more in two batches for the training. I can tell you the skills they have acquired have improved our strength around inland waters.

    “The marine police unit is waxing stronger; we have the unit in 22 states, and they have weapons to operate with. Our inland waters are better policed now.”

  • Igbinoba hails Nasarawa United’s coaches tactics

    Igbinoba hails Nasarawa United’s coaches tactics

    Esosa Igbinoba has disclosed that Nasarawa United did not find it difficult knocking Enyimba out of the 2016 Federation Cup semifinal tie in Ibadan because they had a game plan.

    “We worked on our coaches’ instructions from the start to the end of the match and we kept to our game plan which worked in our favour,” Igbinoba told Goal.

    “We have studied the video clips of Enyimba and from there we got most things about them including their weaknesses and this made the job easier for us during the encounter.

    “We knew they would come all out from the beginning of the match and after we got the opening goal we were aware the tie would become more difficult. We are through to the final of the Federation Cup and we will continue to relish the chance before we start preparing for the final.”

  • Buhari should change tactics, says Oyovbaire

    Buhari should change tactics, says Oyovbaire

    Former Minister of Information Prof. Sam Oyovbaire is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State.  He spoke with Correspondent POLYCARP OROSEVWOTU on the Buhari administration and the people’s expectations. 

    What is your assessment of the Buhari administration?

    Well, let’s give him the benefit of doubt. Some of us use to say a hundred days is too short; you cannot access a regime with it. But, a hundred days has history to it. It may not necessarily say that you have done well, but it shows the strength of character and grasp of the things you want to do.

    But, I won’t be surprised if Alhaji Lai Mohammed, my friend and the Information Minister, says that one year is too short to judge the administration of Buhari. Let’s wait and see.

    How would you react to the federal government’s plan to close the Maritime University, Burutu, Delta State?

    The Federal Government is at liberty to do as it pleases, since it is not a state government project. But, let’s face the facts, I believe the government has not been properly briefed. This is not assumption, the little I know is that the proposal went to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and it was approved and money set aside, and the former President actually went and did the ground-breaking and the inaugural process of the place to take off. I am not sure whether a bill actually left FEC to the National Assembly to establish the university. Even at the early stage of Jonathan’s administration, when federal universities were created in some states, a law was passed to back the structures. So, it is likely that there was no law because it was an executive action, the Minister of Transport, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who is from the Niger Delta and perhaps with the approval of President Buhari, he may have said no, lets continue with it. I don’t know any way.

    But, I would express sense of disappointment with the Minister of Transport that a project like this in his region cannot be defended by him; forget about PDP, APC politics.

    There has been this perception that Buhari fight against corruption had gradually grounded other sectors of the economy. what is your take on this?

    I see it very clearly that the policy or the drive of the government is to cut down corruption. That is commendable and there is no way he could have continued governance in this country, without first tackling the issue of corruption. What has come out so far is the question about some money set aside for the fight against terrorism and was diverted, but have we dealt with the Nigerian National Petroluem Corporation (NNPC) over subsidy? Have we dealt with other sectors like the railways, education sectors? There is corruption in all facets of the society. So, the policy or the drive of Buhari on corruption should be pursued vigorusly, by adressing it all ramification.

    With respect to Buhari and his records in 1983 and so on, there is this mindset of the past, if you recall. When he came on board, all he did was fighting corruption and jailing people and it is the same mindset. So, he is repeating what he did as military Head of State. This time around, some of his ministers are also developing this mindset that, if you deal with corruption, Nigeria will improve. This is a poor political economic analysis. When did corruption start to grow? why don’t we go to Second Republic and see whether there was no corruption? I have not seen enough to suggest that change has come on board in President Buhari’s administration.

    Are you implying that the APC government came into power without any plan to govern this country?

    We cannot really say; I’m not an APC man, but a PDP person and what is quite clear is that immediately after the elections were over there was a committee that was set up headed by a very serious-minded old man, but beyond that committee, there was no economic team; there was no thinking. I’m not aware of any economic team, even as I speak with you today. During Obasanjo time, we knew about the economic team around him. under Jonathan, there was a team, but I have not seen a team around Buhari. History is only repeating itself. Eighteen months after taking over power (from January 1984 to August 1985 before he was over thrown), there was no economic team as well. So, we are repeating it again.

    What is your take on the recent uproar between the FEC and the National Assembly on the 2016 budget?

    I want to commend the civil society with respect to the budget, some group in the civil society did a thorough study, sector by sector, sub-head by sub-head of the budget; comparing those sub-heads with the previous budgets. What we saw was repetition of the previous budgets of Jonathan’s administration. They were just plugging money into the budget, l don’t want to call it deception, but there is no proper planning. You know the way budgets go; first, it is supposed to have come from the ministries, that is when the Ministry of Finance will now seat and see line-by-line what it is that you are bringing.

    Ministries actually go to defend budget before it ever leaves the Presidency or before it leaves the FEC for the National Assembly. But, these were not done; they spent the whole time chasing corruption, Boko Haram and kidnappers all over Nigeria without thinking about what is going on. l felt for my friend, Sen. Udo Udoma, he must have been embarrassed; look at the quarrel in the Ministry of Health, who is a professor and a former Vice Chancellor.

    So, you can see they haven’t changed anything; they have added more than the one we used to know.

    Okowa’s government is about nine months old and not much has been achieved. What is your comment?

    What Governor Ifeanyi Okowa found on the ground was rather rough. The last governor is a friend of Okowa; and both families are very friendly. The key thing is that Okowa inherited both assets and liabilities. The summary is that the liabilities, without prejudice to the performance of the last governor, is overwhelming. So, he was faced with big challenges, that he had no option but to address the state House of Assembly, barely a month after he took over, and told them about some of the challenges. Having said so, he is doing well.

    While the burden of paying salaries was highly challenging, he has been able to swing into action in a few areas of activity, he graduated a set of youths, who acquired skills and were given some starter packs to continue and I think another set is on now. Then of course, few areas which he actually touched and done with, are roads, the section of the dualisation of the roads  from Ughelli town to Asaba, which is Section A, many of the bad portions of the roads in the state have been rehabilitated through the Direct Labour Agency.

    I have seen a few township roads being done in Warri, Orerokpe and the dualisation of Amukpe/Sapele, a few roads here and there are ongoing. But, the truth is that the revenue acruing to the state has dropped sharply. But, so far so good; he is a very organised young man and the beauty of it is that he knows this state in and out.

    A lot of things are being done at the state capital, Asaba, probably you are aware of this. The biggest headache had been crime and how to curtail and handle it and this is not peculiar to the state. If you take the menace of cattle herdsmen, for instance. It is quite challenging. They are ravaging in this state, but in handling it, you need the police, the army and the Federal Government.

  • Scare tactics in Rivers election re-run

    SIR: The spate of killing of APC members and ascribing same to cultists is the most disingenuous electoral wool-gathering ever concocted in the history of electoral democracy. The bloodshed being orchestrated is an attempt to scare away electorates with allegiance to APC’s electoral fortunes.

    Needless to say that the discountenance of the killing interlude by the Supreme Court in its determination of the governorship election petition has emboldened murderous gang in Rivers State.

    With insecurity at its peak, the re-run contest seems to favour the PDP whose members have the unbridled electoral space to express their franchise.

    Drafting huge numbers of security agents is not enough going by past experiences; the federal government may have to wield the big stick in declaring a state of emergency if the carnage persists.

     

    • Bukola Ajisola,

    Victoria Island, Lagos.

  • Criminals’ new tactics in Delta, by police

    The Delta Police Command has issued security alert over the activities of a criminal syndicate disguising as disabled persons to rob unsuspecting members of the public.

    The Command spokesperson, DSP Celestina Kalu, in a statement in Asaba, said the syndicate, which comprised of a man and a woman, operate by boarding commercial buses and robbing passengers at gunpoint.

    “The Delta State Police Command wishes to alert the general public, particularly transport companies operating in the southern part of the country of the activities of a criminal syndicate.

    “The syndicate comprised of a young man who uses clutches and a young woman. Their modus operandi is to charter commercial buses from any part of the region under the guise of coming to Agbor in Delta State.

    “They pretend to be coming to Agbor to pack their belongings, only to end up robbing their unsuspecting victims/drivers,” Kalu said.

    The police spokesperson said that information at the disposal of the command revealed that the criminal syndicate recently chartered a driver from Ilorin to Agbor and robbed him of his vehicle.

    She urged the public to report to the nearest police station or security agency if they come in contact with the syndicate.

    T

  • Supermarkets’ bargain tactics: who bears the loss?

    Supermarkets’ bargain tactics: who bears the loss?

    Shoppers are often deceived by the seemingly endless succession of rollbacks and extra free deals adorning supermarket shelves, trusting these supermarkets to help them save money. But the sincerity of these deals could be questionable, reports, TONIA ‘DIYAN

    It has become a usual practice that at this time of the year, discount prices on goods online and offline become the order of the day with shoppers scrambling for significant discounts on immediate buying because of the deal offers available.

    Asked if special offers are designed to provide the average shopper with good value or it is a mere bargain tactics for supermarkets, Femi Oluyole, a banker who was buying groceries from a supermarket in Anthony-Lagos thinks supermarket pricing policy is designed to increase margins primarily through convincing their ‘loyal’ customers into buying bargains that are not sincere bargains’.

    Adding that he finds it very confusing and time-wasting trying to work out which products are included in any offer, which is often not clear to him’. Oluyole said he noticed that in the home bake section of the store, there is a promotion to buy three items for the price of two. He also noticed a shelf full of items priced at only N15 each instead of their normal price of N50 per one.

    At Justrite Supermarket in Abule-Egba and Iyana-Ipaja, a shopper, Sholape Moyosore noticed that baking potatoes in a four pack which she uses for her baking as a caterer, all medium sized potatoes are charged at a premium price. She said: “I always understood a baking potato to be sold according to their sizes but the reverse is the case here.”

    She said also bought some grocery items from the supermarket for a certain price, but when she went back a few days later to buy more, the price had risen quite significantly. “When my husband queried this, he was told by an assistant (as if he was doing him a favour) to come back at the weekend as there would be a 20 per cent discount because of promotion. There was indeed, but the 20 per cent off still left the price far higher than when we had purchased the item originally. All this happened within the space of one week.”

    An elderly man, Pa Oluwole who has lived 40 years of his life in the United States, said he could not trust supermarkets because they are always saying they have the interest of their customers at heart when indeed, they are just out there to milk them.

    He said:  “Why should I trust supermarkets when they are always shouting about how they have the interest of their customers at heart? But I know how well they tell lies with their attractive offers. My daughter now shops for me at other outlets such as markets and small independent shops where many items are in fact cheaper and often better quality.”

    When price slashing and discount offers first became popular; supermarkets took advantage of what they saw as a veritable source of publicity and an opportunity to attract more customers. But, as the industry is growing and they are trying their hands in the marketing strategy, they say it has turned out that the deals weren’t offering the anticipated returns on investment.

    They often put attractive gift items on display as a bait to grab the shopper’s attention as soon as he walks into the store.

    All essential items are widely dispersed throughout the store. This is so that other ‘non-essential’ items can catch the shopper’s eyes as he walks around. He is being encouraged to spend more money.

    George Ukwunna is the Branch Manager of the Apapa Shoprite store. When The Nation Shopping met him to find out if the special offers which his store gives out on a daily basis are designed to provide the average shopper with good value for their money or if they are mere supermarket bargain tactics, he said: “Special offers are definitely designed to give customers value for their money.”

    He illustrated his belief by saying when a shopper buys an item at 20 per cent reduced cost from its market value, it gives him/her an opportunity to stock up while the offer last. According to him, the shopper will be able to save money by shopping at a well discounted price.

    A lady who simply identified herself as Rita said giving discount is another publicity stunt. Rita, who is the store manager for PEP, said because the store aims at getting publicity because they are new in the market, they have often introduced aggressive mark downs and promotions. She however said, “If it is all about the profit and not the customer’s satisfaction, the store won’t have an exchange policy. In other words, the customer is our priority and everything we do here, is at their interest.”

    The Nation Shopping gathered from a source that some supermarkets within the Lagos metropolis have decided to minimise, but not stop their price slashing strategy, saying the strategy may not actually be such a great thing for them after all. They have also realised that they are offering discounts against their best interests and may not actually present such inviting offers all the time.

    But, for the few customers, who visit after enjoying discounts, these supermarkets might decide that the idea is a bad deal and begin to turn their backs on it.

    Our source said it is only about three per cent of supermarkets which offer deals daily, weekly and monthly that end up sustaining their additional customers. Those who offer huge discounts and don’t retain their customers sometimes end up with low profits, loss of the initial patronage or no gain from the deals.

    However, some experts have said, bargains are not always what they appear to be. “For example, one customer picked up a 12-pack of toilet paper advertised as 30 per cent off. However, on closer inspection this was one of the more expensive packs on offer.”

    Speaking on the way forward for pricing and special offers, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) has said it is calling on supermarkets to make their pricing clearer.

    CPC said: “We want them to show clear unit pricing – the price by weight, volume or unit – so that people can easily compare what they’re buying. We’re also putting pressure on them to sort out special offers so that they’re exactly that special which they are.

    “Last time we went round supermarkets with a trading standards officer and found lots of items that were over price in the name of promotional discounts and aggressive mark downs.

    “In some cases, products were listed as higher than they actually were. A 150g of detergent costing N300 was priced at N450. A 125g toilet cleaner for N350 was displayed as costing N500 for a bottle.

    “We checked the price per kilo, per 100g or per 100ml on a couple of products – looking at types of foods where errors have been spotted in the past. We found a quarter were wrong. In some of those cases, trying to buy the ‘cheaper’ product according to the unit prices displayed would have led to a consumer actually buying a more expensive item.”

    Advising shoppers, an expert says: “it is wise to check the price of individual items to see how much one will really save before purchasing”.

    He said products on the shelves at eye level are usually the most expensive items available. The supermarket’s own brand and economy items (cheaper products) are likely to be on the bottom shelf.

    For him, shelf labels make it hard for people to compare what offers the best value. By looking up on metric measurements, one can check different products and compare the price per weight/volume to see which products give the best value.

    Advising people to note that supermarkets have all their magazines stacked up by the counter, the expert said, they are strategically placed to give the shopper something to do whilst he/she queues up to pay for items.

    Other experts have said bargains are not always what they appear to be. “For example, when a customer picks up a 12 pack of toilet paper advertised as 30 percent off and takes a closer inspection at the item it will actually be one of the more expensive packs on offer.”

    Also advising parties involved, the Chief Executive Officer of Supermart, Mr Raphael Afaedor said::”If merchants are running deals, they should offer reasonable discounts that will still allow them earn profit at the end of it all.”

    He dded that customers, who are taking advantage of discount offers, should keep in mind that the goal of the supermarket is to make money, so sometimes; the offers might not be quite as great as the customer is hoping it will be.

    “The offer might be on products that a merchant wants to get rid off in order to accommodate new ones, or it might simply not be a really great discount.”

    Raphael, however, advised consumers should endeavour to carry out independent researches and confirm prices and product reviews before they jump on making a purchase offered as a discount sale.

    Having said all these, while price slashing, mark downs and promotions turn out to be bad business for many, there are still some supermarkets and shoppers who will make it available always or go for it when they go out shopping. Particularly at times like this when so many people do their shopping. Some merchants give out discounts on varieties of items they display daily and some shoppers will only visit such stores with discount offers.

     

  • Fashanu faults Keshi’s tactics

    Fashanu faults Keshi’s tactics

    John Fashanu has fingered coach of the Super Eagles Stephen Keshi’s tactics as the reason why Nigeria lost to Congo at

    The Ex England International of Nigeria parentage said Keshi’s tactics from the start cost the Eagles dearly in the game.

    “Stephen Keshi is one coach I admire a lot, but his tactics in the first half, and the players he selected cost Nigeria the game, ” he told SL10.ng.

    “I understand the idea of resting players because of the South Africa game, but leaving your best striker (Emenike) out, and starting with a player (Nwofor), who strikes no fear into the minds of the opposition, was a gamble that backfired.”

    The former Wimbledon captain said for the Eagles to be at the Nations Cup next year in Morocco, Keshi needs to work on the defence line, which was shaky.

    “It’s not looking good at the moment, but from what we saw in the second half, the Super Eagles are a good side in attack, but defensively there are so many issues.

    “All the goals Congo scored were avoidable with some simple basics, but they weren’t there, if we are to be at the Nations Cup next year then a whole lot of work needs to be done on the defence.”

    Speaking on Wednesday’s game against South Africa, Fashanu said the game plan should be about not conceding first before anything else.

    “They should focus more on not conceding early because if they concede, the hangover of the defeat to Congo will demoralise them further.

    “We have a good record against South Africa, but we must approach them with respect more than ever as they are on a high, winning 3-0 away, a new coach, a new mentality, they will be aiming to re-write history.”

  • Offa rerun: ACN candidate accuses PDP of foul tactics

    Ousted Offa Local Government Chairman, Prince Saheed Popoola, has denied what he called ‘the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-sponsored rumour’ that he is not taking part in the forthcoming rerun.

    The appeal tribunal has ordered a rerun in the ACN-controlled council following a petition by the PDP that it was not duly notified of the by-election that produced Popoola as the executive chairman.

    Popoola said in a statement he issued in Offa yesterday that the PDP had been enmeshed in plots since the court ruling to gain unfair advantage in the election, including spreading rumour of his withdrawal from the race.

    The statement reads: “Our attention has been drawn to some dirty tactics our opponents are devising to, by all foul means, gain control of the Offa Local Government as the rerun draws near.

    “One of the tactics is the rumour being spread that I have withdrawn from the forthcoming rerun. We wish to inform our supporters and Offa people that this is not true and should be ignored. It is the cowardly handiwork of the PDP. I remain a candidate of the ACN. Members and leaders of the party stood by me throughout the legal struggle.

    “We are also aware of their other evil plans to ensure I do not participate in the election, especially after overtures to make me dump my party for the PDP have failed. This evil plan will also crumble, God willing, because democracy is about free choice and does not thrive in an atmosphere of intimidation or blackmail.

    “We urge our supporters and lovers of democracy to be vigilant as the rerun draws near. Our opponents are desperate politicians, who would resort to any tactics, however foul, immoral or illegal, to deny Offa people their right to a free choice.”

     

  • Talk without tactics; Judicial Performance Record; Emergency electric power; Split road contracts into 10

    Talk without tactics; Judicial Performance Record; Emergency electric power; Split road contracts into 10

    Road officials nationwide should operate 7am to 9pm even on Sundays at every jammed junction.

    Warning about newspaper articles: ‘Agreement without action’, ‘words without work’ and ‘talk without tactics’ are worthless. Those who love Nigeria must take action –like NGOs on the ‘First $12.5b Gulf Oil Windfall’ where their court case was thrown out perhaps for lack of jurisdiction or time lapse or even that the NGOs ‘lack authority to represent the people’. But has the money expired? Has a NGO no right to enquire about the common wealth? More NGOS should follow this lead. Unfortunately the government lawyer relished the moment publically but the moral shoe is on the other foot. Millions of Nigerians wept watching him boasting as yet another opportunity to expose the truth was thwarted ‘legally’. The war against corruption has not started. Judges know they could die without being remembered for ‘moral judgements’ unlike UK’s Lord Denning and Nigeria’s Justice Kayode Eso.

    Eventually the judiciary must learn courage or face ridicule and ‘watchdog’ judicial enquiry. In fact a compulsory monthly updated computer-based ‘Magistrates and Judges Performance Record’ for evidence-based keeping track of ‘sick leaves’, injunctions, adjournments, no shows, wrong jurisdiction courts and technicalities, adjournments, case length, judgements and reversals on Appeal should be created by the Judicial Council or NGOS. Such a performance record will paradoxically help protect judges from corruption pressure. Is it not amazing that from infamous Pol Pot to Pinochet to today, the excuse of ‘sickness’ ridicules the judicial process as an excuse for ‘alternative’ incarceration in VIP hospital or hotel instead of a prison cell? Their dead and murdered victims had no ‘sick-off’ to avoid execution.

    Nigeria should be in a hurry to right the wrongs of decades of incompetent rulership. The pain of a pothole is when it is filled and you remember the needless suffering from rubbish road works. The pain of electricity powerlessness is when you visit those with 24 hour power and discover they are black like you and do not have two heads or a generator at home, office and everywhere.

    Job creation means work in building the 14,000,000 Nigerian homes. Japan replaced all power losses from its shutdown nuclear plant within 3 months using known international emergency electricity companies. Japanese did not starve of power while awaiting a new power station. Nigeria’s multi-billion budget for publically funded generators, fuel and maintenance charges could be better spent on cheaper, large scale, emergency power pending ‘the final solution to power problems’ –the IPPs. So let us remove generators, fuel and maintenance items, except for hospitals, from all government budgets, offices and homes from the presidency, politicians and public officials and PHCN staff. If we do this from Jan 1st 2013 power will ‘flow’. Power is an emergency and a right, not a dividend of democracy. To put our 100,000MW pathetic political power failure in perspective, every single Nigerian from barber to baker to banker would be 10-30% better off financially if power was constant. They would be able to invest in and increase non-oil business and employment by 10-30%. Of course the petroleum billionaires would be 40-50% poorer if Nigeria’s generators dry up as fuel consumption would go down. Hurray!

    A 300 Level undergraduate of Political Science told me today that they have never analysed current affairs in class. It is time for curriculum change to include ‘Application of Today’s Lecture to World and Local Events’. Undergraduates in every discipline need a lecturer guided/ student space to discuss and research Nigeria’s pathetic state every day.

    Potholes are filled year round in countries like Thailand with monsoon rainy season. Nigerian roads are mysteriously abandoned during ‘rainy season’ –disgracing Nigerian professionals. Nigeria must fill potholes 365 days a year and work day and night during the dry season.

    Teachers should teach NASS and government an old mathematical puzzle – ‘If it takes one farmer 10 days to plough a field, how long would it take 10 farmers to do the same field? Answer ‘One day’. So why does Nigeria not divide all roads into sections of 10-20km for 5 or 10 contractors? Road mega-contracts have failed Nigeria, creating 1 or 2 billionaires and millions of road sufferers and failed projects nationwide. A country is not made great by billionaires but by its other classes. Multiple small contracts will produce a quick execution of contracts, healthy rivalry, competitive quotations, more happy contractor families, more spread of wealth, 10 times the employment, fewer exclusive yachts and private jets. Governments must initiate a ‘Split Contract Policy’ of ‘Prove why the contract should not be split’.

    CBN governor Sanusi’s comments about workers reduction require dispassionate thought. The origin of our recent financial problems is the excesses of the NASS ‘Salaries And Perks’ precipitating the ‘Second Nigerian SAP programme’ after Babangida’s First SAP programme. This caused a backlash of supersalary demands among other political appointees, civil servants and states and LGAs. The CBN could deliberately improve the naira at say N1/month over 4 years and bring down the 12% interbank interest rates and the 21-25% bank interest rate. This would have reducing the cost of living. Nigeria is eating its own hands. To save the economy, put politicians on a sitting part-time allowance and target strategies for a naira of N120: $1 by 2015. Strengthening the naira will empower salary earners, create jobs, wealth and halve the number of Nigerians living on $1/day.