A wasteful nation

Two years after the inauguration of a new government, Nigeria is still groping in utter darkness occasioned by epileptic electricity supply. Two years on, the expenditure of the country on generating sets has continued to be on the rise. The other day, Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the House of Representatives, decried the yearly expenditure of $5 billion, about N1.8 trillion for the procurement of generators within. Here is a country that prides itself of being the touted giant of Africa, yet cannot do the simple things other countries take for granted. The country has featured in all the national and international conferences and workshops on renewable energy, yet, while other countries are making waves in that regard, Nigeria is still slumbering. In all of those conferences, government officials spoke highly of the country’s plans to address the power challenge through renewable energy option and made empty promises as their manner is. Today, in Nigeria, generating set dealers are said to be in an unholy alliance with certain elements in power to ensure that there would be no steady electricity supply in the country. While these unpatriotic individuals prey on their hapless compatriots, government looks the other way. Despite the multiple adverse effects of the use of generating sets to human life and to the environment, the Nigerian government delights itself in playing the ostrich. Dogara in his lamentation, said it is worrisome that Nigerians spend about $5 billion yearly to fuel their generators, describing same as an “unacceptable scenario…”

MASSOB’s infantile ultimatum

The Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) appears to be taking a joke too far with its ultimatum for Ndigbo resident in the parts of North to return to South East geo-political zone latest August. By this dangerous utterance, the group is unnecessarily raising the apprehensive level among the Igbos, particularly those resident in the North. MASSOB claimed that its panic alert was in response to the quit notice served Ndigbo by a motley Arewa youth groups. What MASSOB is doing now with the scare-mongering is a disservice to their kit and kin by trying to stampede them into taking hasty and unprofitable decisions. It is infantile for MASSOB to have said it had begun to mount pressure on “all married Igbo women living in Northern Nigeria to start speaking to their husbands on the dangers of staying in Arewa land which no longer guaranteed their safety. They should also intensify their pressures on their husbands concerning the Mass return in August.”

It is also nonsensical for MASSOB to be circulating outright falsehood to the intent that it had a mechanism to compile a data of all Ndigbo in northern Nigeria for the purpose of monitoring their return. A question that needs to be asked is how the group hopes to accommodate those that have no houses back home; how to feed and sustain those that have no farm or means of livelihood back home.

Now, if a man has a shop in the North on the proceeds of which the entire family depends, and all the man’s children are in primary and secondary schools, he should abandon the shop and withdraw the children from school and sheepishly move homeward, knowing full well that he has nothing to sustain them at home?

Again, if anyone refuses to comply with the August deadline, would MASSOB block all the entry points into South East states to ensure that those who did not return at the stipulated time are shut out? I can’t get it. I think some people are riding under the confusion created by the Arewa youths to be mischievous.

Osinbajo’s burden

Observers of Nigerian politics would agree that Yemi Osinbajo, acting president, is not a happy man at the moment. He treads very carefully and cautiously. Pundits say, unlike the Shakespearean Caesar who never realised until it was too late that enemies abound around him, Osinbajo is conscious of the brood of vipers around him. Beyond his smart moves, the acting president is a man that has been cowed by the cabal created by President Muhammadu Buhari. Asukwo, the internationally-acclaimed cartoonist of BusinessDay, a few days ago, captured the burden of the Ogun State-born but Lagos-bred cleric-turned politician. Osinbanjo was cartooned being weighed down but the heavy load of Nigeria as the man who is supposed to be taking the heat is in faraway London, while his men invoke his powers in a framed picture at the Presidency to make governance uncomfortable for Osinbajo. The other day, Osinbajo’s comment on a national issue was countered and overruled by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. Today, some people say the Acting President is a toothless bulldog and that is why the country is marking time. It appears that all is not well with the acting president at the moment. He has yet to wave the magic wand he employed last time, when his boss stayed away for 50 days. Within that period, the name of Osinbajo was on the lips of many Nigerians because of the positive changes he caused within a space of time. For the first time, many Nigerians experienced and appreciate the real slogan of the ruling APC- CHANGE! It was very obvious that some mischievous glances were cast at him from certain quarters. Today, the Acting President appears to have been so brow-beaten that he has almost gone into hiding and the country is paying direly for it. Like some other of his ‘egbons’ in that Rocky enclave, the Vice President’s physical look shows a clear evidence of worry, anxiety and serious pressure from within and without. Who says Osinbajo is not wearing a crown of thorns?

Is Nigeria a killing field?

It is high time we called for a national prayer and fasting session. The rate at which Nigerians are dying these days through unnatural means is scary. A lot of people are being killed on a daily basis through Boko Haram bombs, all manner of explosions, armed robbers, kidnappers, ritual killers, assassins and through road and other forms of accidents.

The daily newspapers are awash with bizarre news items on such categories of deaths that are very chilling. One wonders if government at all levels is still alive to its primary role of protecting lives and property of citizens. It appears everyone is on his/her own in this country. It also appears nobody bothers about how many people die every day, so long as they and their family members are protected. No country can survive like this.

Naira rain for governors?

In the last two years, despite the recession, most state governors have taken delivery of billions of naira from Abuja. Apart from the monthly largesse from the Federation Account AllocationCommittee (FAAC), there had been bailout funds shared to most governors on two occasions and two tranches of the Paris Club refunds. It is on record that some of the governors allegedly squandered the bailout funds that were meant for the payment of workers’ salaries and settlement of pension arrears.

Despite huge amount of monies, the states are still burdened by the weight of debts and cannot carry out infrastructural projects. Last Tuesday, the Federal Government released a state-by-state breakdown of N243.8billion paid to state governments as the second tranche of the Paris Club refund of over deduction on Paris Club, London Club loans.

With the release of the money, the governors, as their manner is, may have begun another round of feasting. In the next few months, like the proverbial prodigal son, they’ll return to want. It is sad that Federal Government that should be in a position to insist and monitor the judicious use of this largesse is also prodigal. And because it has no clean hands, it cannot possibly go to equity.

 

Zebulon Agomuo