SEE US IN TEARS: In Search of Goodluck we Found Patience – Parts 1&2 – By Philip Akpoviri

Posted by admin Articles, Columnists, Goodluck Jonathan (2010-present), NNP Columnists, Philips Akpoviri., Presidency Monday, January 9th, 2012

By Philip Akpoviri, NNP – Jan. 9, 2012 – When our dear Minister of Finance cum custom-made Supervising Minister for the Economy, Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala appeared before the National Assembly for her mandatory pre-appointment screening – a process which by the way can only be considered to be predictably pedestrian – she rightly made a big deal of Nigeria’s unsustainable astronomically high recurrent expenditures, versus her pitiably low capital expenditure.

The Minister of Trade, Mr Olusegun Aganga, another very brilliant Nigerian technocrat joined in the crusade to bring down the cost of running the government. Our obdurate one-man-squad Central Bank Governor, Prince Lamido Sanusi was not left out of this supposedly pro-people agenda.

We thought that with such queries, the cost of governance would be forced down, and the volume of naira available to uplift the deplorable living condition of the dying masses be inevitably increased. Hurray, the Dream Team is here we so chorused.

Not so fast! That was what we got as feedback. There is no doubting the fact that these three honourable Nigerians made key inputs into the 2012 budget. It may even be true to say this trio prepared the 2012 budget almost single-handedly. When it comes to money management matters, who in the Federal Executive Committee can match the famed trio of a former World Bank Managing Director, a former Director of the world’s famous Gordon Sachs bank, and the 2010 World Central Bank Governor of the year?

Good, they diligently prepared the budget. Their sky-high intelligence and seeming infallibility notwithstanding, it fell short of my huge expectations. At least not after the bulky hope they precipitated on assumption of office.

Today, President Goodluck Jonathan’s economic transformation model has this trio as his limbs while the Western financial institutions serve as the heart. Recent history has made it incontrovertibly clear that the West is not always right when it comes to economic matters. So their admonitions may be listened to but must not necessarily be seen to be sacrosanct. Ask the Greeks. Ask the Italians. Then ask the Chinese and the Japanese – and the South Koreans.

There’s so much to gain when you dig deep to resolve your challenges within without capitulating to absolute rented intelligence.

The world is yet to recover from the economic ditch the most brilliant brains in the world threw us into. They plotted many curves, propounded many theories, they had intentioned to reduce the pain in the land, but in the end they disgraced intellect as they got the reverse. And as always, the poor ones who occupy the lower strata die first.

Meanwhile, the 2012 subsidy removal item was not among Dr Goodluck Jonathan’s copious campaign promises upon which he swore “never ever to let you (Nigerians) down”. Rather, it is a West-influenced emergency policy. The terrible economic situation across Europe has proven again that they are not always right! Perhaps we can start counting our teeth with our tongues.

Today, our brilliant minds opine that the 2012 removal of fuel subsidy is the solution to Nigeria’s economic woes. Why should I not think that this too shall fail?

They screamed that the cost of running government was too high in 2011 and before. We agreed because we had already lost our voice following years of screaming. We anticipated a big cut. But, no! In 2012 by some strokes of incomprehensible calculus impregnated in some mysterious Adam Smith’s theories, this value was almost surpassed in the 2012 budget.

They have asked the scores of millions of suffering and dying Nigerians (apologies to Fela Anikulapo-Kuti) to go make huge sacrifices to secure the future of Nigeria. We agreed because we have shown how tough we are and how willing we are to make sacrifices for the good of everyone and our unborn children. But what did they do? They still showed no willingness to make the least of sacrifices themselves. Their paycheques, absolutely otiose foreign trips, corruption-propelled security votes, wasteful personal pilgrimages, et cetera still remain intact.

They neither buy petrol nor pay for car maintenance from their earnings. We do. They live in palatial houses with full complements of electric power. We do not have that much good luck! We buy our generators ourselves, fuel it ourselves, maintain it ourselves and withstand the debilitating health hazards of its noise and fumes ourselves.

We rely completely on God for our security and our family’s. They have first class security operatives, high efficiency surveillance gadgets, complemented by all of the few capable policemen in the land to protect themselves. We have lost count of the poor men, women and children who have been hurried to their graves by Boko Haram. Yet we have not heard of any slain minister, governor, senator or so. Not even their family members! They are well protected in their heavenly Nigeria. We are not so lucky in this hellish one of ours!

Though we know PMS sells lower in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and some other major oil producing states like Nigeria, our aristocratic leaders have preferred to use other friendly examples to justify subsidy removal. They told us petrol sells far higher than 65 Naira per litre in the UK, US, Korea and others. We agreed. That we already have known. But they should equally agree with us that they know that none of these countries have a minimum wage as miserably and inhumanely low as #18,000 Naira per month. A paltry sum our State Governors almost never agreed to pay.

They are quick to compare us with the Americans when it comes to prices. We say we are ready for the juxtaposition of facts. Prof Okey Ndibe is a Nigerian born Professor who has lived in the US for several years. There are many things he know about Americans. Hear him: “The American president as well as U.S. governors must pay (from their annual salaries) for their families’ personal meals and other domestic needs. The only free meals (emphasis mine) President Barack Obama eats in the White House are those served at formal state functions. Otherwise, he and his wife receive a monthly bill – and pay – for food, drinks and other services they consumed or used.”

That’s America. In Nigeria – a country where over half of the citizens live under $1 (one dollar) per day – the families of the President and the Vice President will reportedly spend approximately one billion naira on feeding in 2012. That’s a whopping over two and half million naira everyday on food alone – for just two (officially) monogamous families! That sum can feed my entire community for a lifetime! But no, our search for such good luck has only led us to find more patience.

We must compare likes for likes. If we want American price regimes for commodities, then we must be ably prepared to enable commensurate American conditions. No smart games!

Perhaps, this table from the Linda Ikeji (http://lindaikeji.blogspot.com/) puts my point in context.

They sermonise that change from the status quo is the only way to go. We agreed. We showed our willingness to go that path but politely – and logically so – have asked them to lead the way. Is it not basic knowledge in change theory that changes must be seen to transcend downhill?

Change is a concept that increases the entropy of the system, and prompts a vital component of sacrifice from its constituents. Provided a system is not totalitarian, for a change to see the light of day, it must be evidently perceived to simmer down from the head.

Based on this elementary hypothesis, I humbly say, Mr President, honourable ministers, executive governors, distinguished legislators please lead the way. It’s not a big ask to show us your own side of the sacrifice you urgently require of us. It is as simple as that.

Continued on part 2.

Philips Akpoviri

January 06, 2012.

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SEE US IN TEARS; IN SEARCH OF GOODLUCK WE FOUND PATIENCE (Part 2)

By Philips Akpoviri.

Continued from Part 1.

As I have remarked elsewhere before, the benefits of an Ijaw man living in a shanty in the creeks is access to sweet free fresh fish. The Hausa man tucked in a mansion somewhere upland will pay dearly for the same or perhaps less fresh item. So let the benefits of our being hydrocarbon-rich Nigerians be to enjoy cheap petrol.

Lest I forget, the same leaders have bragged about the fact that following their genial amnesty initiative, Nigeria’s hydrocarbon export hit record volumes in 2011. Nigeria has always been Africa’s largest oil exporter, the peace in the Niger-Delta and the accompanying positive spin-off effect on the production should only normally be a palpable blessing. No, not so! Our national debt profile is reportedly growing even more robust by the day.

They say, we spent 1.3 trillion naira on subsidy in 2011 alone. It’s too high a burden to bear they cried. They removed this from the 2012 budget but we are still searching for the part of the budget where this massive sum was captured in lieu of subsidy. Worse still, we did not see any proportionate increase in the capital expenditure plan to account for such a ‘windfall’.

By the way, what is the guarantee that our leaders are telling us the truth? They have argued that Nigeria averaged 250 to 300 billion Naira per year on subsidy prior to the Dr Jonathan days. But in 2011 under President Jonathan this sum somehow skyrocketed to 1.3 trillion. How? Where are the records? Who disbursed and who received these moneys?

Why should I not think that these figures were synthesized by the pro-rich economists to hoodwink the ever gullible Nigerian majority? If they are real figures, where are the records? All current affairs-savvy Nigerians have a clue as to how things work in the petroleum sector and how we have not been able to get accounts ironed out. Not even after the huge funds that have been lavished on the comical probe panels and Committee sittings which always end without tangible results.

A whopping one trillion naira is in question here. If the records are straight on this, we should have the names of the culprits precisely written in some books. Nigerians have been known to serve jail terms for stealing only a few thousands of naira, why is no one paying the price for defrauding the Nigerian state of this intimidating volume of money?

If the Nigerian Police, the EFCC, ICPC and all such law enforcement and anti-corruption institutions choose to give a blind eye to this, then they are bound by common moral justice to equally forgive every inmate in all Nigerian prisons or detention facilities accused of stealing. Rich or poor, we are all Nigerians, so, the tacit pardon should be flat across board. Period!

These senior fellows must really be thinking we lack grey matters. Otherwise how can one explain the illogicality and phoniness of the action of the Federal Government setting up a committee saddled with the responsibility of engaging stakeholders nay Nigerians on the issue of subsidy removal only after effecting the removal of the subsidy!

One great writer, Dr Reuben Abati once had this to say on a similar anomalous action taken few years ago. Hear him: “The mischief and dishonesty are obvious: why set up a committee to seek the input of stakeholders when a final decision has already been taken?”

The same critical Dr. Abati issued the publication announcing the formation of this similar committee this time! He has roundly metamorphosed true to my thick fears as I captured in my piece http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/guest/dr-abati-it-s-hard-to-say-goodbye.html (which I published immediately upon his appointment as Special Adviser on Media to the President). May God be with him anyway.

Now they have erected a Subsidy Re-investment Committee headed by the respected Sir Christopher Kolade. He is though a great man but clearly not in a good position to superintend against the monstrous magnitude and volume of corruption in Nigeria today. Suffice to say that this appointment is not only ludicrous but also smacks probable intent to deceive.

Why?

Because these bad smart guys own contracting companies and good friends across the sectors; they will still be the ones to secure the contracts from the Re-investment Committee as they will run rings around him. They will secure the contracts. And they will inflate the cost, steal and abandon the projects again! And again!! And again!!!

If a dynamic 54-year old President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces adequately equipped with a Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctorate degree still find it this difficult to tame them, what makes any sane Nigerian think that one 80-year old baba can stop these agile, brainy corrupt men all of a sudden? How?

At this juncture, I do submit therefore that I am not entirely against subsidy removal. It surely cannot last forever.

But it is only right to put first things first. Logic must never be enabled to stand on its head!

Hence, I re-state the obvious: firstly, the nation’s leadership should take the lead in the quest for change by manifesting their personal sacrifices. The UK under the incumbent Prime Minister, David Cameron did it; Obama’s US has done it. Their sacrifices are ubiquitous on the web.

Secondly, our dear President must show a great political will required of a great leader to combat corruption. Kindly excuse my fair-intentioned comparison, but truth is he saw Muhammadu Buhari do it nearly three decades ago; he’s got the same instruments – and ability – so why not use them?

The President is the General Overseer of the nation and the national leader of the ruling PDP. He must use his political machineries to ramp down the cost of governance. Singapore’s incumbent leadership showed us the way only a few days back.

Finally, we are in a democracy. It is absolutely necessary to win the confidence of the majority before executing such earth-quaking reforms. Objective consultations, long-range planning, sensible palliatives and a general improvement on the deplorable living condition of the sick and dying masses must be made manifest.

Unless these ‘miracle workers’ who kept the missing #1, 000, 000, 000, 000. 00 die all of a sudden the same fate awaits the subsidy savings upon its removal. It will be a case of still birth.

Anything other than these, I reluctantly predict will lead us further down the lane to doom. We shall be disappointed; we shall cry even harder – and die even sooner than expected. Because I truly love this country, I hope I am wrong; I pray my prediction is wrong.

May the soul of Mr Mustapha Muyeedeen Mofoluwasho Opobiyi murdered in Ilorin during the anti-subsidy removal protests rest in peace. Amen. May God lead our leaders right.

Philips Akpoviri

January 07, 2012.

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