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How to Develop Nigeria, by Okonjo-Iweala, Nnaji, Others
FROM JOHN-ABBA OGBODO AND BRIDGET ONIOCHIE , ABUJA
Senate clears Aganga, Ando as ministers
THE Senate resumed screening of ministerial nominees yesterday with candidates listing ways of realising the Vision 20:2020 agenda of the Federal Government.
Among those screened were former Special Adviser to the President on Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji (Enugu State) and former Minister of Finance and Managing Director of the World Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
As part of his answers, Nnaji said the country would need about $10 billion yearly for about 10 years to properly and efficiently reposition the power sector.
According to him, the nation is blessed with abundant resources to generate power, including coal, hydro and solar energies, but the process is capital intensive; thus, the need for privatisation and the consequential increase in electricity tariff.
Nnaji rebuffed the protest against his nomination, noting that it was stage-managed by some interest groups, who were afraid of change. He added that there were three unions in the sector, including the pension, the senior staff as well as the junior staff union.
He said that it was only a segment of the junior staff union, who were afraid they may lose their jobs upon privatisation, that agitated against his coming back because they anticipated down-sizing of staff.
According to Nnaji, even when retrenchment becomes imminent, plans are on ground to ensure they get their full benefits. "Upon privatisation, there would be no need for most of these people but the plan is not to leave the workers in the cold but to ensure their full benefits are taken care of and in full privatisation, there would be other groups that would have shares. Workers actually would have the opportunities of owning shares in the company. So, it is normal fear and I can understand. I also believe the segment of workers was hijacked by interest groups who do not want change."
Nnaji, who spoke in favour of the privatisation bid, said it was the only veritable means of ensuring adequate and regular power supply.
The issue is being able to do electricity business the way it is supposed to be done.
He spoke further on the plans of the Federal Government: "We are planning to revamp the existing Federal Government power plants, which has capacity of over 5,000mw but producing 2,400mw. We need to recover full capacity by privatising these plants, next are the existing independent power projects. Those power projects should be maintained by being able to pay when we have power. The third approach is the bulk trader we talked about before – to buy from private company about 6,000 to add to the existing capacity. The cost of display by investors is an indication that the country is ripe. You cannot get it right unless tariff reflects the cost.
"What is being planned is that as power continues to increase, the way it is now, you cannot ask them to pay the exact tariff. Over the next three years, there would be subsidy so that the tariff would increase as more power comes. There would be a cost subsidy in the Electric Reform Act that urban poor and rural dwellers would not see this kind of increase, people who are supposed to pay for power should be able to pay."
The Senate President, Senator David Mark, told him that if posted to the power sector, the Senate would hold him responsible if he fails to deliver based on the explanation he gave at the screening.
On her part, former Minister of Finance and Managing Director of the World Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, cautioned that politics should be divorced from the economy. "To grow the country and economy, you need every sector and ministry to be important and do the needed work. I believe that every single sector is important in the country and it would be left for the President and senators to decide but economically, every sector matters.
"The minister of petroleum should do the needful to make the sector transparent if people feel it is not. I don't know why exploration of oil should assume political dimension, every country blessed with such resources tries to see how to exploit it maximally. We should encourage increased exploration in all parts of the country without political sentiments", she said.
She explained that she didn't run away from the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo but resigned when she felt she was not working and contributing the way she should.
She spoke further on the economy: "We should try to live within our means. Current expenditure is almost 74 per cent of the budget, so, no place for capital project. The main problem with the economy is job creation. We should give priority to sectors that are job creating.
"Right now, we are one of the few countries that are oil-producing, we are losing reserves. We should rather be increasing our reserves. If you want to revalue the naira, this might not be the time to think about it. We should wait until things are more stable, we are growing our economy and creating jobs.
"Refineries, why are they not working? I wished I knew better. Petroleum engineers should help us identify but I think machines are obsolete. We need proper frame-work for refining our oil, there is no reason why we should not."
She said the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) should be allowed to explain the recently introduced cash withdrawal limit. "Cash withdrawal. It would be wise to tell Sanusi to understand exactly what he has in mind when he made the policies. All I can say is that whatever the case may be, other countries are trying to use electronic means of cashing money but we should also be a little careful because people may decide to keep money at home. I like the objective of making us a cashless economy but we should do that carefully", she said.
The former minister also spoke on industrialisation. "To achieve the type we want, we should tackle infrastructural need. We should demand result of all the money spent on privatisation. We should support all the areas we have comparative advantage.
"If we can run a budget that is not deficit, we can do it. We have done it before. How can we invest in capital if we are spending all on re-current expenditure?
"We can manage the N18,000 minimum wage. Are we going to be a country that is not able to produce enough capital to invest in the future?"
Answering questions on the recently introduced non-interest banking, she cautioned: "We should look at this without emotion. As far as I understand it, again, it is a question for the CBN governor who proposed it but to me, it is another form of banking where instead of charging interest, people who give loans charge interest. It is a way to give people who have the means to participate.
"But there are commissions charged in this system. We should understand what it is about and look at it dispassionately. It is another type of banking and many countries in the world are opening up this type of banking. We should look at the actual implementation. It functions relatively within other kinds of banking."
She added: "We need to look at wage bill, over-head. We have got to find a way to work both on revenue side and cost side and cost side is where we talk of what we do with recurrent budget. From the figures I saw, our revenues are not adequate to cover the recurrent budget."
On the proposed removal of petroleum subsidy, Okonjo-Iweala said: "There is no issue with subsidies. The issue is that subsidy is general. Let there be a policy that would make only those who need it to get it. We should subsidise those in our population who need it. It would be very good to take part of it and put in place social security mechanism.''
On his part, the immediate past Minister of Finance, Olusegun Aganga, explained the benefits of the Sovereign Wealth Fund.
Names of confirmed ministerial nominees include Prof. Nnaji from Enugu State, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala, South East geo-political zone, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, representing Lagos State, Dr. Bello H Mohammed, Kebbi State, Abba Moro of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ioraer Ortom also from Benue State, Prof. Viola Onwuliri from Imo State, Prof. Ita Okon Bassey Ewa from Akwa Ibom, Senator Idris Umar, representing Gombe State and Dr. Obadiah Ando of Taraba State.
The Acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Bello Mohammed Haliru, Abba Morro and Samuel Ortom as well as Senator Idris Umar, were simply asked to bow and go.
Source: The Guardian, 7th July 2011
Our economy in trouble, say Okonjo-Iweala, Aganga, Nnaji
By HENRY UMORU, CHARLES KUMOLU, INALEGWU SHAIBU& OGECHI OHAEGBULAM
ABUJA—THREE ministers-designate at the heart of the Goodluck Jonathan economic revival team, yesterday, reviewed the Nigerian economy and posited big trouble unless the present consumption pattern is reversed.
Managing Director of the World Bank, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; immediate past Finance Minister and erstwhile Managing Director of Goldman Sachs, Mr. Olusegun Aganga and former Presidential Adviser on Power, Prof. Barth Nnaji; spoke at the Senate screening exercise where they were confirmed as Ministers.
Okonjo-Iweala who painted a gory picture of the Nigerian economy during a Senate confirmation hearing to return her to her old job as Minister of Finance, asked: "How can we invest in capital if we're spending all our money on recurrent expenditures."
The Senate had approved the unanimous opposition by all three Lagos senators to confirm Aganga as the ministerial nominee from Lagos. Other nominees confirmed, yesterday, were Comrade Aba Moro, Benue; Dr. Samuel Ortom, Benue; Senator Idris Umar, Gombe; and Mrs. Viola Onwuliri, Imo.
Screening of nominees
Also confirmed yesterday were Professor Ita Okon-Bassey, Akwa Ibom; and Erelu Olusola Obada, Osun.
The seriousness with which Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala and some of the nominees painted issues were, however, lacking in the approach of the Senate in the screening of the other nominees. A number of the nominees were confirmed without as much as a question from the senators who simply asked them to bow and go.
Dressed in a blue blouse and skirt made of African print with black spots and with her landmark headgear, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala entered the Senate chambers at precisely 12.10 p.m. and was let off at 1.15 p.m.
She was quizzed on several issues pertaining to the economy and for the first time was publicly made to disclose reasons for her unceremonious exit from the Olusegun Obasanjo cabinet.
Noting that Nigeria was eating out of what it should be using to develop itself, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said: "I am really worried about the issue of making sure our budget is not eaten up by recurrent expenditure. How can we invest in capital if we're spending all our money on recurrent expenditures. Can we run a budget that is not negative? Absolutely. We can do it, we have done it. We have been able in the past.
Recurrent expenditure
"I strongly believe that we should try as a country as much as possible live within our means. Right now we need to work very hard because the budget that we have is such that the current expenditure is almost 74 per cent of the budget, therefore, there is not as much left for capital, so we need to work hard to put in place policy that will make it possible to continue to implement fiscal policies that will enable us to tackle the various challenges in the economy while at the same time living within our means."
She noted that the recurrent expenditure was crowding out other necessary investment in infrastructure especially power and as such solicited the help of senators to help the executive branch of government by giving the push to cut down recurrent spending.
Also noting the effect of unemployment on the economy, she said: "I think the main problems in the economy have to do with creating jobs. We have unemployment rate of about 14 to 16 per cent, but very large under-employment and the issue is how to make the economy growing in a way that it will create jobs, so those fiscal policies have to be supportive of sectors that are going to be job creating, because we now have growth, but we need to translate that growth into jobs, so those are the kinds of fiscal policies that we need to encourage. We should privatize sectors that are job creating."
Noting the declining performance of the federal budget, she said: "When I joined the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, the budget implementation was 30 percent in 2003, we got up to 90 and 85 percent as at the time I was leaving. And that was a good for any country. As at now the implementation is at 53 percent. I don't see any reason why the budget will not be fully implemented, if it is reasonable and delivered on time. Budget will be fully implemented if the revenue is coming with less expenditure."
Expressing concern that the country was not maximally exploiting its oil revenues, she said: "We are losing reserves, it shouldn"t be, we should be increasing our reserves, at the same time. I am aware that part of the reserve maybe due to decision to support the naira, I don't think is something that is untoward, but if we want to revalue the naira this will not be the time to think about it. I think we should wait until things are more stable, we are growing our economy, we are creating jobs, we make sure our young people are working and the sectors we have are really giving what they should before we think in that direction."
Investment in oil sectcor
Answering a question on the Joint Venture Companies, JVC, Okonjo-Iweala said: "On the issue of JVC I think there are number of modalities that many countries use to manage the oil sector, exploration in their countries and investment into the oil sector. I think the problem that we have is that our own portion of the joint venture over time we have difficulties meeting that, but I don't see anything wrong with them per se, I think in the beginning if you are going to go that route, you really need to have strong presence and advise to make sure that what you negotiate really obeys the law that will be of benefit to the country at the end of the day after the whole process."
Inevitably, she was drawn to why she had to resign from the Obasanjo government after her successful role in erasing most of the country's debts to the Paris Club of debtor nations.
She said: "I did not run away, I was here. I resigned, I served the country for about three years and when I determined that I could no longer perform and give to the country the way that I would want, I resigned, which is the honourable thing to do, so I did not run away. When the circumstances are appropriate to serve, you serve and if they are not appropriate, you go and do something else. I think three years plus of service is quite substantial, not only in Nigeria, but elsewhere in other countries, it is regarded as a good amount of time to have given the country and I intend to implement and if Iam cleared I will do my job."
On the usefulness or otherwise of sustaining the subsidy on petroleum, Mrs. Okonjo-Iweala said that subsidy was a good instrument needful in narrowing the economic gap between the rich and the poor but lamented that where it is not effectively utilized it becomes wasted.
She said that she was especially touched by the wide gulf between the rich and the poor in Nigeria saying that narrowing it was one of the incentives for her returning to the federal cabinet.
She noted: "We have coefficient of inequality. It is this inequality that is holding us down. People keep asking why I want to come back to work, but the reason is simple. In a country where the rich keeps getting richer and the poor keeps getting poorer, we need to bridge the gap. We live in a country, where the rich can just wake up and decide to travel abroad, just as their children school abroad and have access to good healthcare. On the part of the poor, the reverse is the case."
In addition, Iweala said: "The children of the poor don't have good schools to attend to and no good healthcare system in a country of 150 million people. That is the inequality we are talking about. We must change this because I know it is possible to do so. I will ensure that we improve the lot of the common people, in order to prevent our young people from moving abroad."
Aganga who appeared after Okonjo-Iweala also lamented the lopsidedness of the national budget on recurrent expenditure which he said was responsible for the nation's economic downturn.
Aganga noted that the Nigeria"s huge personnel cost at 75 percent average is a drain on the nation's resources which has become a burden and an impediment to infrastructural development.
He said: "The level of expenditure has increased significantly. Five years ago it was N1.6 trillion. In 2009 it went up to N3 trillion. In 2010, N4 trillion and in 2011 it is going to go to N4.4 trillion that is hard given the level of revenue we have today.
"The second challenge we have is the level of our recurrent expenditure. In 2009 it represented 30 percent of total expenditure, in 2010 it represented 73 percent of expenditure and 2011 it is going to be 74percent of the expenditure. What that means is that the amount we are investing in infrastructure and development is less than 30 percent of total expenditure, so how can you develop as a country?
That has been the case for the last ten years. If you look at the figure compared to the revenue, the recurrent expenditure in 2009 extended beyond the total revenue. What is happening then is that it means you are borrowing for recurrent consumption. That is bad.
Recurrent expenditure exceeds revenue
"In 2010 your recurrent expenditure as a country exceeded your revenue also. That is bad. There are four items in recurrent expenditure, the first is debt servicing, the second is statutory transfer, the third is pensions and all that, that is small. The biggest is what we call the personnel cost. Personnel cost increased from N851 billion two years ago to N1.3 trillion in 2010. Which is an increase of about 61 percent and has gone up to about N1.4 trillion in 2011 that is where the bulk of the money is. So the issue is on personnel cost.
"We have run a budget every year that has a deficit. The deficit in 2011 is about N1.2 trillion that is why the domestic debt has gone up. That is the challenge we have as country."
Former Special Adviser to the Presiden on Power, Professor Nnaji, while responding to questions from senators confirmed the tie between industrial production and power but confessed that 90 per cent of the nation's industries had wound up on account of lack of power.
Noting government's efforts in the sector, he said that massive investment was needed into the sector but said that government could not do it alone and hence the need to create the enabling environment for investors to come in. he said that was the reason for the increase in electricity tariff. He, however, affirmed that government would continue to subsidise electricity tariff for the next three years before a complete withdrawal.
Responding to questions on the opposition to his nomination by some groups in the power sector, he alleged a collusion between some elements among one of the unions and those he claimed were determined to allow the poor power supply system to continue.
While noting that a total of 10 billion dollars was required yearly for the next ten years to build up the sector, he said the country has an installed capacity of 5,000 megawatts while the current production level is 2,400MW.
Noting that the absence of more investments would spell doom for the nation's Nnaji also said that Nigeria in its fifty years of existence had not produced a power study.
Outside investment
On the need for outside investment, he said: "There is no way investors will invest if the tariff does not reflect the cost. It must meet international standard of recovery of cost. For those who are poor, there is a way to reduce the tariff. There is cost subsidy that is actually in the electricity act."
On whether threats by staff of Power Holding will not affect him, he said: "There are three unions in electricity. You have the pension union, they have not opposed. You have the senior staff union, they don"t seem to oppose. You have the junior staff union and it is a segment of the junior staff that is doing the opposition. But it is based on fear. You have two types of fear here, one is fear of change and in any place where there is a reform in the world, this fear will hold the people in that sector and so it is not different here. They are afraid of change.
"The second is fear of job loss. They are afraid that they will lose their jobs. But it does not make sense to us because we cannot manufacture workers from the air, it must be the same workers that are in the sector that will ultimately be co-opted in the sector.
"Also those who are not really competent may upon privatisation of the companies may decide not to keep such workers. Anybody who is operating a business will want the people who are working to be competent. It is just normal. The plan is not to just leave the workers out there in the cold. The plan had been let us ensure that the workers who benefit are taken care of and also apart from state government and the federal government, it is only the workers that are going to have shares in the companies. So it is just fear and which I understand."
Three of the nominees, Bello, the Acting Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Orotom and Senator Idris were asked to bow and go without answering questions.
'I was a motor park tout'
Ortom, a nominee from Benue State told the senators that before he struggled to educate himself to finally get his Doctorate degree, he had to engage himself at the motor park from where he got money and registered for the General Certificate of Education, GCE, examination.
According to him from the motor park, he started driving commercial vehicles as a way of boosting his income.
Ortom who is the Chairman, board of the Standard Organisations of Nigeria, SON, told the senators that because of the way he a struggled to achieve what he has achieved, he was qualified to be cleared and made a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Moved by emotion, Senator Ehigie Uzamere, ACN, Edo South moved that the nominee should be asked to bow and go saying that his presentation and honesty were enough reason to confirm him. The majority of the senate agreed and he was subsequently asked to take a bow and go.
Source: Vanguard, 7th July 2011
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Senate Confirms Okonjo-Iweala, Aganga, Nnaji 7 Others
COSMAS EPKUNOBI (ASSIST. POL. EDITOR) ADEKUNLE ADESUJI
Former Minister of finance Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iwala yesterday disagreed with the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Mallam Lamido Sanusi over the proposed N150, 000 withdrawal limits for depositors even she opened up on why she quit the administration of former president Olusegun Obasanjo.
The former minister told the senate yesterday that she did not flee the country, but left Obasanjo when the atmosphere for her to operate again.
Dr Okonjo-Iwala whose nomination as a minister was confirmed yesterday by the senate also tasked the lawmakers to conduct full scale investigations into multi billion dollars Turn Around Maintenance (TAM)on the four refineries saying that it was curious that the nation's refineries still perform below capacity despite the huge sums of money already injected by the federal government for their repairs.
In her words:" I am not a petroleum engineer and I am not sure why after a lot of investment our refineries have not be able to deliver, but I would imagine that the distinguished senators will make this one of the thing they would look into as the government goes around. And I will also if I am clear to join the government be willing to look into it and make sure that whatever money is put in yield adequate result."
Meanwhile former Special Adviser to the president on power Prof. Barth Nnaji declared the federal government would need to inject a whopping sum of $100billion into the power sector if the country must achieve stable power supply in the next ten years.
Prof, Nnaji told the stunned senate yesterday that the country's power supply capacity may grow from its present 3,400 megawatts to about 10,000 megawatts in the next ten years if government would invest an average of $10 billion yearly for the next ten years. He said government generates 15,000 megawatts in 2014 when the new IPP the Manbilla and other two power projects are completed. Prof. Nnaji however told the senate that the federal government cannot fund the power project of about $100billion in ten years.
But Okonjo-Iwala at the senate yesterday said Nigeria was not yet ripe for cashless economy as proposed by the CBN boss insisting that it may forced most depositors to resort to the old crude practice of keeping huge sums of money in their homes.
Sanusi had vowed to commence implementation of his N150, 000 cash withdrawal limit from July next year, a policy he said was designed to make Nigeria a cashless economy mid-next year.
But Okonjo-Iwala at the senate yesterday said: " I would also be a little careful because it might have the opposite effect if you implement a minimum or a maximum withdraw, people will decide to keep money in their mattresses and not put them in the bank because they will think they will not be able to withdraw them. We have to go about it carefully, I like the objective as they said of moving towards a cashless society, but I think we should implement it with deliberation.
She however said that the CBN Governor would have to further educate Nigerians on the proposed cashless policy in order not to produce negative results in the economy.
The former minister who was grilled for over an hour by the senate on her knowledge about the nation's economy and government policies however backed the controversial Islamic banking already approved by the CBN, saying there was nothing strange with such system it would interest free loans to those that cannot secure such facilities from other commercial banks in the country. He said that people should not look at the proposed system with emotion, adding that such system function alongside with other commercial banks in most countries where it exist.
On the subsidy paid on imported petroleum products, the former minister said the policy should be reviewed for the benefit of the poor Nigerians who are meant to benefit from the subsidy.
She said that the policy has been hijacked by the rich and middle men in the country.'We should subsidize the population, the low income people who need it, , She said that federal government spend about N600billion yearly on subsidy but the benefit of it does not get to the poor.
On her resignation, the former minister said 'I did not run away, I was here… resigned , I serve the country for about three years and when I determine that I could no longer perform and give to the country the way that I would want I resign, which is the honorable thing to do, so I did not runaway. When the circumstances are appropriate to serve you serve and if they are not appropriate you go and do something else. I think three years plus of services is quite substantial, not only in Nigeria but elsewhere in other country is regarded as a good amount of time to have given the country and I intend to implement…I am clear I will do my job.
Meanwhile the former minister has said that most youths are traveling abroad in search of greener pasture because of the poor economic condition, including high unemployment rate and corruption in the country. She said that many Nigerians are tired and would want radical steps to be taken to address the economic crisis in the land.
Source: Daily Champion, 7th July 2011
Okonjo-Iweala Supports Islamic Banking
The managing director of the World Bank and a ministerial nominee, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has debunked the misgivings which trailed the issuance of guidelines for the regulation of non-interest Islamic banking in Nigeria.
While responding to questions at the Senate screening yesterday, she said the issue of introduction of non-interest banking in Nigeria should be viewed devoid of sentiments.
"We need to look at non-interest banking without emotions. It is another form of banking. We just need to unpack the elements of this system of banking in order to understand it", she said.
On the feasibility of operating a non-interest banking model in Nigeria, the ministerial nominee stated that "from the evidence, it seems to be functioning relatively well in various parts of the world" and that with proper implementation, it should also work in Nigeria.
With her remarks, the fears of exclusion and other forms of sentiments being expressed over the introduction of non-interest Islamic banking in Nigeria was further allayed, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) said in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja and made available to LEADERSHIP.
Okonjo-Iweala told Nigeria's Senate that she would aim for a fiscal policy that would ensure the country "lived within its means" if approved as a member of the cabinet.
According to her, "I am really worried about the issue of making sure our budget is not eaten up by recurrent expenditure. How can we invest in capital if we're spending all our money on recurrent expenditures?"
"Can we run a budget that is not negative? Absolutely. We can do it, we have done it. We have been able in the past."
The recent plan by the CBN to introduce Islamic banking in the country has continued to elicit reactions from stakeholders.
However, apart from reviewing the guidelines to ensure a smooth take-off of the bank, the CBN recently announced that it was making plans to issue the first Islamic bond 'Sukuk' in the next 18 months.
In the new guidelines, CBN clarified the contextual definition of non-interest banking, stressing that it was not restricted to Islamic banking, but also includes other forms of non-interest banking not based on Islamic principles.
The apex bank, also at a stakeholders' meeting last Monday, declared that a licence had been approved for Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc to operate this type of banking, even as it said other commercial banks had also indicated interest.
Source: Leadership, 7th July 2011
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2011 Budget not Good for Development – Okonjo-Iweala
By Oluwole Josiah
A former Minister of Finance and Managing Director of the World Bank, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, on Wednesday criticised Nigeria's current budget, saying it was tantamount to the government living above its means.
Okonjo-Iweala, who also described the fact that the country had spent billions on refineries "without tangible results" as curious asked the National Assembly to strengthen its oversight function by unraveling what went wrong with the refineries.
The ex-minister, who appeared before the Senate to defend her nomination into President Goodluck Jonathan's cabinet, condemned the 2011 national budget which she said allocated over 70 percent of its total sum to recurrent expenditure and described it as "not good for development."
The 2011 budget signed by the President on March 27 totals N4.485tn, out of which a whopping N2.425tn, representing 54.1 per cent, is for recurrent expenditure.
"I strongly believe that we should try as a country, as much as possible, to live within our means. Right now we need to work very hard because the budget that we have is such that the current expenditure is almost 74 per cent of the budget, therefore there is not much left for capital (expenditure). So, we need to work hard to continue to implement fiscal policies that will enable us to tackle the various challenges in the economy, while at the same time living within our means."
She said the Olusegun Obasanjo administration under which she served maintained an economic policy that enabled the federal government to post reasonable fiscal deficits.
"(Regarding) the policies of the previous government where I served, we tried very hard to put in place a sensible fiscal policy that would enable us to have a reasonable fiscal deficit," she told the Senate.
Okonjo-Iweala was appointed Nigeria's first female Minister of Finance by Obasanjo in July 2003. She was redeployed to the foreign ministry in June 2006. Two months later, she resigned and left the government for reasons that were not officially disclosed.
President Jonathan on Tuesday sent her name to the Senate for screening as a minister thus confirming reports that the government was working to bring her on board to manage the economy. Among other demands, she was said to have asked the President for the power to appoint the heads of the agencies under her ministry. It is expected that she will be assigned the finance portfolio.
The parastatals under the Ministry of Finance include the Nigeria Customs Service, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Debt Management Office, among others.
During the question-and-answer session, Okonjo-Iweala lamented the situation where the country as a major exporter of oil was not able to produce products for local consumption.
She said the country obviously needed new refineries and that there was no reason why Nigeria should not be able to achieve the goal.
On fuel subsidies, Okonjo-Iweala noted that the present regime of fuel subsidy was not reaching the poor.
"Subsidies work when they reach the poor. Right now, we spend N500-N600bn on subsidies, but the poor are not currently benefiting," she said.
She added that a general subsidy was wrong, admonishing the government to evolve a policy that would ensure that only those for whom subsidy was meant benefitted from it.
She told the Senate that the country's economy should focus on job creation as the way out of her present challenges.
The World Bank MD said, "I think the main problems in the economy have to do with creating jobs. We have an unemployment rate of about 14 to 16 per cent, but very large under-employment, and the issue is how to make the economy grow in a way that it will create jobs.
"So those fiscal policies have to be supportive of sectors that are going to be job creating, because we now have growth, but we need to translate that growth into jobs. Those are the kind of fiscal policies that we need to encourage. We should privatize sectors that are job creating and try to see how we can invest in those."
She counseled Nigerians to receive non-interest banking "without a lot of emotions," arguing that it was simply another form of banking.
While lauding the CBN's new policy on cash withdrawals, Okonjo-Iweala warned, "We have to be careful so that people don't start keeping money under their mattresses and then stop taking their money to the bank."
On the exploration of oil in some parts of the country, Okonjo-Iweala said oil exploration should not be politicised.
" I don't know why it should assume a political dimension. I think that every country that has been blessed by God to have these natural resources (must) strive to the maximum to look all over its territory, onshore and offshore, to see how it can expand the available number of barrels of oil or gas that is available. I will certainly advocate that we increase our exploration," she said.
Also at the screening, a former Finance Minister, Mr. Olusegun Aganga, told the Senate that revenue generating agencies such as the Nigerian Ports Authority and Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation were not making remittances to the federal treasury as required by law.
He said the problem could only be checked through the forensic auditing of the NNPC.
He said as part of the ongoing fiscal reforms, the federal government would stop the practice where agencies made money and expend it as running cost.
"The law says that they should remit 80 per cent of their revenue to the treasury, but this does not happen," he said. Both Okonjo-Iweala and Aganga were confirmed by the Senate.
Source: Punch, 7th July 2011
Nigeria: Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala Should Reject Ministerial Position
Emeka Chiakwelu
The government of President Jonathan is in the process of appointing cabinet ministers. Many of the old faces are busy clamouring for one position or another, but Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in particular is being persuaded and wooed to come back based on merit and a history of achievement. The former Minister of Finance and the present Managing Director of World Bank - Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala-needs no introduction for she is the golden appointment that will enhance the presidential cabinet. Her presence in the president's cabinet will bring a comfort level, credibility and dignity that the country needs in the financial world and globalized economy.
When Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is referred as an international financial superstar that is not an overstatement, neither is it pandering to sycophancy. Her fame in Nigeria and beyond is based on concrete achievement and verifiable merit. Her superior educational qualification and training she obtained from prestigious Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is not only what made her an outstanding intellectual and a model citizen of Nigeria; but in addition she has a compelling track record as a technocrat and problem solving over-achiever.
The hard work she put on securing the 18 percent debt write-off and Nigeria's settlement of debts from both Paris and London Clubs of Creditors speaks for itself. Many of us disagreed not with the final exit from the debt but with methodological process and procedure employed by the creditors to arrive at the said debt. For in the final analysis the payment of the big sum of money to these international institutions that used nail crushing interest rates and arrears to arrive at the large debt that Nigeria owned may not be conducive for a country that has overwhelming poverty in her midst.
That notwithstanding, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala did her job by making the best of the moment and saved Nigeria from further higher debt and the mortgaging of the country's financial standing and the financial future of our posterity. She was given a job to do and she did it excellently. And for that Nigerians are grateful to her.
According to the reverberating news on pages of newspaper, her coming back as minister of finance is almost a done deal except that the issues of dollar/naira compensation package and depth of assignment portfolio are receiving finishing touches, therefore holding back the announcement of her appointment.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala is a woman of intellectual substance and prudence, and she is not likely to solicit an advice from anybody outside her circle of relation and sphere of influence. Okonjo-Iweala should say no to this appointment because her second coming maybe her stumbling block. The manner she departed from the last position she held was not comforting and in way it was not ceremonial. She came to former President Obsanjo's administration as a finance minister. Later she was transferred to foreign ministry and that was the position she held before she resigned in a foreign land as she was conducting diplomatic business for Nigeria.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala because of her straight forwardness and transparency of conducting the affairs of her ministerial positions has acquired friends and foes. The later that are in high places with considerable power in media have not give up in throwing her good in the mud. This time around they will not wait for her to make any mistake before they will find her guilty in the pages of newspapers.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala has both fame and fortune. Does she need the headache of cabinet minister?
A good name is a treasure and once it is compromised, it will be difficult to be reclaimed and re-cultivate. The implication is that the global respect she has worked her to earn and garnish will dissipate in the wind. But this is her decision to be made.
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala can still serve her fatherland not just only by holding a cabinet minister position but by also becoming an adviser to President Jonathan; as she was to Obasanjo's administration before she was appointed a minister, on the matters of finance and economics. Even in that capacity she can accomplish a lot without having detractors and professional critic to question any policy advise she gives to the president in private.
Emeka Chiakwelu, Principal policy Strategist at Afripol. Africa Political & Economic Strategic Center (AFRIPOL).
Source: Daily Independent, 30th June 2011.
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Jonathan Will Not Shortchange Ndigbo -Ukoh
TONY ITA ETIM, Enugu
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan would not short-changed Ndigbo as being speculated in some parts of the South East geopolitical zone.
Evangelist Elliot Ukoh, President Igbo Youth Movement, made the declaration in a statement issued in Enugu.
According to Ukoh, "We have confidence in president Jonathan capability and sense of fair play. We believe he will not short change Ndigbo or any zone for that matter. We welcome all the offers by Mr. President to Ndigbo with a grateful heart and implore Ndigbo to watch and note.
"The degree of infrastructural decay in Igbo land is frightening and we expect that the South East leaders will forward the blueprint on massive infrastructural development of the region to Mr. President immediately."
Ukoh pointed out that "Ndigbo voted Jonathan because we believe he will turn Nigeria around for good, revamp and rebuild the marginalized zones of Nigeria."
He maintained that "Ndigbo did not vote for him so that he will give us any particular office. We voted for justice and equity we still believe in Jonathan, we believe he will not let us down. Ndigbo still believe in Jonathan. We call on Ndigbo everywhere to keep calm and watch the dance steps of President Jonathan let us carefully watch and note. He cannot let us down."
Ukoh lamented the bickering and cacophony of demands emanating from Igbo land over sharing of political offices can get out of hand if not contained now.
He continued that Ndigbo deserve justice and equity, and must be treated fairly; and insisted that for senate presidency or speaker ship of the house of representatives by the South East is justified.
According to Ukoh, "the demand for chairmanship of the PDP and the allotment of the office of the SGF are all welcome by Ndigbo. In fact, we deserved more than all these, having been marginalized for forty one years."
Ukoh declared, "But above all of these, Ndigbo still believe in Jonathan, we believe that he understands our plight as a people oppressed for decades and denied their dues. We know that Jonathan?s break of a new dawn will enthrone equity we still believe in Jonathan."
The statement admonished "Ndigbo that abusing each other has not helped us in the past, and it will not help us now" as desperation over political offices sends out the wrong message.
Source: Daily Champion, 18th May 2011
Jonathan Should Fulfill His Promises to Ndigbo-Obi
SIMON IBE
Despite the fact that your party, the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) won about 60 per cent of the state House of Assembly seats and about 60 per cent of the House of Representatives, you are being assessed on what happened at the senatorial election, where APGA lost all three seats. The impression is that you were routed in Anambra State. How do you react to that?
If you had followed the 2007 elections, you will notice that immediately after the elections I did a statewide broadcast. This year, I decided not to do that. This year's election is an improvement of what it used to be. We have seen improvement. What happened in the National Assembly elections was not the true reflection of the wishes of the people, but I don's want to say much because some of them are subject of litigation. The last two elections were more of the wishes of the people. The presidential election showed the wish of the people here. Anybody could raise an argument, but I can tell you that the result was the reflection of the wishes of the people. The House of Assembly also showed the wishes of the people. Do you know that all the senatorial candidates said to have won lost their local government areas? Some lost in their towns. How do you win election when you lost your hometown and local government area?
The main problem is INEC applied simple majority in the National Assembly election. If it were like presidential or governorship election where you must win certain percentage across the senatorial zone, the result will be different. If you take the Anambra North, the two areas you will not loose are Onitsha South and Ogbaru. These are where you have largest concentration of people. In the senatorial zone, out of the 10 constituencies we won about six. The party declared winner in the senatorial election, got only two, while other parties won two. In the Anambra Central Senatorial Zone, there are 10 House of Assembly constituencies. The winner of the senatorial seat again won two out of 10. We won six and other parties won the rest. In the Anambra South Senatorial District, there are 10 House of Assembly constituencies. We won six. Other parties won two and the winner won only two. In each of them, they lost the two biggest local governments within the zone.
Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu is, undoubtedly a formidable factor in Anambra politics, if not the entire Igbo land. During the governorship election, he campaigned for you and you won. In the last elections, he wasn't around. To what extent would you say his absence affected the outcome of the election?
In 2003, when we won everything, we were denied. He was around in 2007, when we won everything and we were denied everything. In 2010, he was around. It was only my election at that time. This time, he was not around because he is not well and if he were around, he wouldn't have changed the results. He has done his beat. Whether he was here or not, it may not have changed anything.
Looking at the performance of APGA in Anambra and IMO states, how do you see the party in the next four years when there will be another election, especially in the South East?
In Anambra State, we got up to 60 per cent. I can tell you, it wasn't easy to achieve that. All of you are in the media and so you know the big names in Anambra. All these big names are on one side and for us to defeat them in 2010 and in this one is a feat. Until this election, I have been operating with zero number of APGA membership in Anambra House of Assembly; zero in the House of Representatives and zero in the Senate. To have come from there to where we are now, with all the heavyweights and all known names on the other side, is a great achievement. It's a sign of good things to come.
People have this impression that you have not done much for the growth of APGA in the South East. They compared you to Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, who was able to grow his party. How committed are you to ensure that APGA survives after your tenure expires?
I always tell people that the day you measure the income of Anambra and the income of most states and what we have been able to achieve with that income you will appreciate the enormity of my achievements. We live in a country where we do compare two different situations, like comparing what is happening in New York Times of America to what is happening in a Nigerian newspapers. In America, you cannot compare the state of Arkansas, whose budget is not up to 10 per cent the budget of state of New York. Here, if anybody wants to compare me, there are about five states that I don't receive up to 10 percent of what each of them receive every month. People will be saying look at this man and what he is doing, but nobody wants to compare your level of income. However, I can tell you that if you compare my income to my achievement it is far better than the other party.
You should remember that Tinubu didn't do this magic when he was governor. He was not impeached. His tenure was not cut short, and he didn't go for Constitution interpretation. We are making progress. This is the first time we are winning election in Nnewi, Ojukwu's local government. In 2003, 2007 and 2010 we lost. This time, in all elections, we won Nnewi. Like I said, the key areas, which you use to measure the strength of the party, are, Awka North and South, Nnewi North and South and Onitsha North and South Federal constituencies, which we all won. We have done very well as a party.
In the build up to the presidential election, APGA endorsed Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate. What's the deal that led to this? We ask this because PDP has zoned offices and South East did not get much.
The South East Governors agreed not to contest for the presidential and the vice presidential positions. We said we would support any candidate with the best interest for the South East. When we looked at the programmes of all the candidates and their promises, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan came tops. That's why we gave him our support and urged our people to support him. I urged my party to support him and I still support him. There are two things here: What he promised to the South East, as a people and the other one is PDP power sharing proceeds. One is confined to the party. When we were talking with Jonathan, we were not talking of PDP sharing formula. Our position is what is there for the masses of the South East and Nigeria as a country and through out his campaign he was consistent that, for example, he would fix Enugu airport to become international airport. He said he would tackle the erosion problem, which is our problem, he said he would build Second Niger Bridge. He said he would ensure that we generate power because our people are entrepreneurs and need electricity. These are areas that will benefit the masses of this zone. He went ahead, during the campaigns, to release about N11billion to fight erosion problem and the World Bank is already working with us. These areas where my colleagues and I were looking at because that is what benefits the people.
When you are talking about PDP sharing process, the people we should be asking are the PDP people from our zone. I am not part of that. That was not included in any of my negotiations. I didn't go there to negotiate what individuals would benefit, whether you make Peter Obi's wife this or that person. No. I wasn't looking at that. I was looking at what will benefit my people. He made a firm promise. These are things I want him to do for my people and if tomorrow he is not delivering that, I will say the man is failing on his promises. Never at anytime in our discussion that we bring in PDP power sharing formula.
Are you satisfied with the sharing formula?
As a person, I have to look at what is given to my people, but, like I said before, we have our brothers and sisters who are part of this group and they are the people that should have been part of this sharing formula. Again, personally, I will say let us look at what is there for our people and not just who occupies what.
We have gone round, seen lot of infrastructure. What are you doing about job creation?
What you have seen today is part of job creation. Building infrastructure is part of job creation. In building infrastructure, people have to build it, so they are employed and people have to be in those offices. This state today has a clear vision to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The first goal of MDGs is fighting poverty and you can't do that without job creation and that has led us to opening up our state, for our people to bring out farm produce from Ogbaru and other places. Again, we said we were going to create about 5, 000 jobs. We have now employed about 2, 200, 1000 in primary schools, 1, 000 in secondary schools and 2, 000 in computer teaching and many of them in civil service. We are also beginning to come up with conducive environment in our universities. This is what we are doing in job creation and we are trying to attract more foreign investors. We are also working with a South African firm, which is going to build its plants in Anambra. Such plants will employ people. We are working with another company to generate and distribute power here, which will, in turn, help to resuscitate moribund industries and they would employ people.
You mentioned that some of the election results will pass through judiciary test and you know you are a master of that route. Are you confident that tribunal will do justice to the cases?
I have always believed that the judiciary in this country is one of the best.
You are the head of Governors Forum, in South East and the deputy at the national level. With the national chairman of the forum not returning, are you going to take over at the national level?
No. I thank the governors of the South East, who reposed confidence in me to be chairman. I also thank my colleagues at the centre, who, when the occasion came, they also reposed confidence in me. Like I always said, my name is Peter Obi and not Governor Peter Obi. I will not be governor forever. The only thing I do is ensure that those who repose confidence in me are not disappointed. I try to live up to expectation.
It is said that you were the one that asked Prof Dora Akunyili to vie for the senatorial election, but some people are blaming you for not helping her to win?
Some people will always look for who to blame at any time. I remember when we went to World Cup, in South Africa and we lost, some people said to me that the government is to be blamed for the failures. there were players, but they blamed the government.
Will you support that she be nominated for ministerial post, since APGA is working with government in power?
I have told you that my support for president is based on what he will do for Igbo and not what he will do for individuals. My interest is not who gets what. My interest is for the Federal Government budget to reflect equally in every zone, especially since we have been denied for a long time. Look at the roads, they have turned to death trap: Enugu-Port Harcourt, Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Abakaliki, Onitsha-Owerri and other federal roads. I want them fixed. I am interested in Second Niger Bridge and the Enugu international airport.
The hospitals we visited are monumental edifices, but the environment was not well kept. The hospitals are overgrown with weeds?
I agree with you. The reason is very simple. If you know where we were coming from, you will appreciate what we have been able to do far. If you go to Onitsha today, there are road sweepers. Some of the huge projects, you saw, including the business park, used to be refuse dumps. There's a place called Creek Road. Nobody passed there before, but today, the dirt is gone. Gradually, we will get everything done. We can't do these things overnight and it didn't happen anywhere over night. Today, we are the least indebted state in the country. We have not borrowed any kobo. Everybody is issuing bonds, but we are not going to do that. We believe in our income and we have been able to achieve what those who have issued billions of bonds can't.
The challenge of governance is not about building structures. How have you been able to build human capacity?
We are changing people's priorities and we are changing the values. We are bringing a change in any system. In terms of human training, let me start from the school system. The second goal of MDGs is to achieve universal primary education. Our primary schools are doing very well. Our secondary schools are doing very very well. When we came on board, no secondary school had a functional science laboratory. None had a computer classroom. None had a borehole. As we speak, we have been able to get 120, 000 computers, including laptops in the schools. I have been able to do about 120 boreholes in the schools. All the schools have functional science laboratories. We are about providing all the secondary schools libraries; over 100 of them have vehicles. We have been able to give all the schools owned by the missionaries back to them.
Before we came in, not one day did the civil servant receive any form of training. Today, our permanent secretaries are being trained overseas, and all sorts of training have been introduced. We are working with European Union (EU) and World Bank on training. These were not there. I didn't have a secretariat and even this place (Government House) was not there. I rebuilt the burnt governor's office. We have built the first public library since 1966, after the Onitsha library. Ojukwu built Onitsha library in 1966 and I renovated it. before I came, the library became a motor park and restaurant. I chased them away and renovated it.
Onitsha, the gateway to Anambra State is an eyesore, from the Niger Bridge. Doesn't this bother you?
I would have shown you a proposal I want to put up to the president to authorize me to do that Onitsha bridge area you know that it's a federal road. It's critical to me to do this. That contract, from the Onitsha bridgehead to Awka, had been awarded to CCC. It is an on-going contract, but it is not being funded. I want to fund it and get refunded. If I get the approval tomorrow, it will be a different story.
Are you having problems getting authorization?
I'm requesting for that. Our vision is to achieve the MDGs. When you have a vision, which is your destination, you must have a vehicle that will take you to your destination. Anambra State Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS) is only a vehicle that we are using to drive to other destination. It is just a process that allows us to plan, budget and execute our plans. Development is not only in one area. It's in every area. We are pursuing every goal of MDGs and we are doing well in every goal. We studied all sectors and that is what development is all about.
We believe that you would want your vision to outlive your tenure. Now you have done one year in the second term and three more years to go. In the spirit of continuity, have ever thought about a successor? Are you grooming one?
That is a godfather area. I believe that should be for the people. Mine is trying to lay foundation for true governance and be able to build institution that would endure. Like I said before, bringing change is very important to me. All over the world, change agents hardly survive the change. They are consumed by it, especially those who live by the Constitution. People will meet you and say that since you became the governor you have not done anything for them personally. Do you know the number of people who will tell me that they have not benefited from me? Even some people that work with you are not all happy. What do you want me to do? The worst is that nobody tells you what he wants. They just assumed that you know what they want.
Some of your colleagues are subscribing to a review of the revenue allocation formula. Do you also subscribe to that?
All of us are, because the reason the Federal Government is receiving the huge allocation is no longer there. The airports, seaports and other things have been concessioned. If you put the overhead of the states together it is higher than the Federal Government's. Costs within the states put together are higher than the Federal Government. There is need to readjust the revenue formula, in the interest of the country. There is the need to look at the regional basis for the interest of the country. So it is not a question of agitation. It is a question of saying what is in the interest of the country. Just as I always say, it is time for us to sit down and plan as a nation. Nigeria is a signatory to MDGs. Other countries that are signatories are pursuing it, as a vision. The issue of water, that every citizen should have access to water, we would just sign it. It's time we take them as an issue. Even if we don't have water scheme all over the place, the local government can be doing borehole; the state government can do the medium sized water scheme and the Federal Government can take the big time water scheme. Same thing can go on in health sector so that there is plan. But now, we are working and quarrelling with each other.
From what we read on the Internet, it's tempting to conclude that there is crisis in Peter Obi government, particularly the high turnover of commissioners, special assistants?
Don't listen to them. In this state or in this zone, my commissioners are the longest. Those who came in with me are still there for five years and I don't know other people who have done this. In five years, out of about 20 executive council members, only about three have left. Within the first year of some other governments, more than six would leave. People have sacked all political appointees, dissolved executive council. Even in Lagos, if a commissioner leaves it is not news, but here if a commissioner leaves in Anambra it becomes news. When there is strike in Lagos, you won't know there is strike. During the doctors? strike in Lagos State, they didn't kill Governor Babatunde Fashola, and they didn't say he was not doing anything. Oyo State Governor-elect, Abiola Ajimobi, without taking over, is quarrelling with Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala over N18, 000 new minimum wage. He said it would cripple him. In Ekiti, the governor sacked three Vice Chancellors and it's not a problem. In Anambra State, this would be a big issue.
The commissioner for commerce and industry said some groups were threatening his life. He has a young family. I followed him to the police station to report the matter. He later chose to quit. When I did not have need for a Chief of Staff, I reassigned the occupier of the office. I have a permanent secretary in the Government House, who does administrative work. I considered her more useful to me. When I became the bank chairman, I wasn't a banker. The first thing I did was to get a banker that knew banking, as my key staff. When I wanted to take a decision, he would advise me.. Till today I have an administrative staff, who have retired but I'm keeping her because she can tell me this is how it is done in government. I have director of budgeting. He will tell me the budgetary process, and you need it. People succeed not because they are the best but because they hired the best.
There's the talk that Igbo are marginalized. How would you assess the lot of the Igbo in Nigeria?
Where I want to start is that you take a look at the Nigeria budget since 1999. It shows all the capital budget spent in Igbo land. If you assess it, you will know we are very much marginalized. You know we are unfairly treated; that was why I was saying, in the first place, that my own agitation is for fairness, treating each region as a component of Nigeria. It is only Igbo, in Nigeria that goes to another zone, build a house, live there, help in building the place. If you go to Lagos today, who are the major contributors to the economy? They are Igbo. It is the same when you go to the North, including Abuja. But what do we get in return? We are unfairly treated. That is why when Jonathan gave his offer, we supported him and I will still support his presidency through out the time he would be in office. My support is not something that people question. The promises have to be fulfilled, so that we have a sense of belonging in the country.
Your simplicity in government is noted. You don't travel with a large entourage. What informed this kind of life style?
Well, I won't say it's simplicity, when you live your normal life. Before I came here, I was chairman of a bank. For me, this is a temporary job and I said it before, my name is Peter Obi, not Peter Governor and I want to live my life. I don't want my office to change my life. I want my life to change the office and that is what I'm doing. I want to change the office. Again, travelling alone is also because I have to look at the cost and the income of the state. We are not as lucky as those with enough money to go with 18 or more people. There was a trip we went. Others were staying in a hotel that was very expensive. I didn't see the reason to stay in a hotel that's costly. The cost was twice more than my overnight allowance. I found a place where I spent only 20 per cent of my overnight allowance and I slept well.
Who fixed allowance for the governor?
It was there when I came. I think it is reasonable. It is not just abroad, even in Nigeria, there are hotels that I don's sleep in because they are too expensive. When I was in the bank, it was the same thing. Now I still stay in the same hotel I stayed as Mr. Obi, which I can afford. Even when I was in the bank, it was the thing. People boast about going to the guest houses in Ikoyi. I was chairman of many companies that have their guest houses in Ikoyi, but I would go to my house in Festac Town and sleep. You see, changing your life style is not easy when you want to change it back. That was why it was easy for me when I was impeached to go back to my village and I want to go back there without feeling that I have lost anything. This is just a temporary job, where I have been opportune, above everything, to serve for the first term twice.
People say that politics is a dirty game. You are a gentleman, but have survived. How did you do it?
Let me say categorically, if dirty people play a game it is a dirty game. If good people play politics, it is a good game. It is something we must do with civility; that is why I said before that even the issue of election, we have a process by which to challenge it. I can say in this country categorically, that nobody has challenged the rascality of politics more than I. I have been in court for more than three years challenging my governorship election and nobody did that before. Eventually I got my mandate through the process of the court. I was the first person to do that. Again, when I was impeached, people asked me to run out of the country. I said no, that the impeachment was wrong and I challenged it, without quarrelling with anybody, through the due process of the law. I got it back for the first time. When they were campaigning to remove me, when my tenure had not elapsed I did not quarrell with anybody. I was not part of the campaign. I used to meet Dr. Andy Uba. We were not quarrelling, but I challenged his election because it was illegal. Then, my tenure had not ended. I went to Supreme Court that decided the right thing. I didn't have to quarrel and call people names.
Anywhere you have seen me call people names, it is during campaigns and I call them in their presence. We need to bring civility into politics. All the parties? objectives should be to build a better Nigeria for our children. We don's have any other country. The ultimate aim is to build a better Nigeria. If any part of Nigeria fails, Nigeria has failed. I live in Lagos, have interest in Lagos, Abuja and everywhere. For me, politics must be played with civility; that is why those of us in office should treat others as human beings, treat people fairly. When I'm going to work, I see school children and the elderly people trying to cross the road. I ask my driver to stop, so that they can pass.
Are people paying tax in Anambra to shore up you IGR and what must the Igbo man do?
Are people paying tax? No. They don's pay and they have not been used to paying. Somebody who is doing the naming ceremony of his child is ready to spend over half a million Naira but the same person is not prepared to pay N25, 000 for me to build school infrastructure to train his child to become a human being. That is why I said we are challenging their priorities and their values. I'm sure one day we get it right.
The first thing for the Igbo people to do is to love each other, work together as a people with a common purpose and be able to engage their counterparts in other parts of the country together, negotiate together and be able to ensure they work together for equity and fairness for the good of Nigeria.
Out of six states in South West, Action Congress of Nigeria (CAN) controls five, do you envisage that by 2015 APGA would control if not all the five states, at least four in the South East?
If I can do that I will be glad. We are beginning to awaken Igbo political identity and it will be. The most important thing, like I said, is for us to work together.
Source: Daily Champion, 21st May 2011.
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We Must Deliver on Our Electoral Promises –Jonathan
•As UN scribe visits
By Vincent Ukpong Kalu
President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday said it was mandatory for all elected officers in the 2011 elections to deliver the dividends of democracy to the electorate, as failure to do so would amount to reneging on electoral promises to the people.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon would during his three-day working visit to Nigeria beginning Sunday would address political office holders in the country with emphasis on political and economic future of the country.
Jonathan in his remark at the opening session of the First Induction/Symposium of Nigeria Governors' Forum (NGF), for newly elected governors and re-elected governors, at the Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said "the outstanding success of 2011 elections and the wide local and international acclaim which the exercise has received imposes a huge burden of responsibility on all of us who have received the mandate of the people.
"Nigerians have unequivocally demonstrated commitment to the sustenance of democracy. It is therefore our collective duty as elected representatives of the people to work, not only to entrench, deepen, and strengthen the structures and institutions of democratic governance in the country, but to also enhance the welfare and well-being of the people, promote growth and development, and inspire the people's confidence in political leadership".
He stressed that the desired changes in the nation could only be realised "through transparent, accountable, purpose-driven, people-centred, and God fearing leadership".
Going further, Jonathan said the times "call for renewed resolve and renewed courage as we face the sundry developmental and economic challenges confronting our nation.
"The times also call for a recommitment to the ideas of democratic governance especially with respect to strict adherence to the principles of the rule of law, separation of powers, and cooperation between the three arms of government, as well as between the federal, state and local governments".
Jonathan therefore challenged the governors forum to as a matter of necessity "provide the platform for the generation of practical ideas and strategies for effective partnership between state and local governments so as to mitigate some of the identified challenges of governance at the grassroots level".
The president emphasised that on "our part I aver that the Federal Government is unwaveringly committed to partnering with state governments to drive Nigeria's accelerated growth and development"
While congratulating the elected governors on winning elections at the April polls, the president said "as political leaders, we must be in the forefront of preaching peace and harmony, not violence. As chief law officers, we have the obligation of ensuring the security of lives and property of citizens of this country. On my part, I want to assure you of federal government's preparedness to avail you all the requisite support at all times.
I have consistently reiterated that the culture of impunity will no longer be tolerated in any part of our country. For me, this is an article of faith. We cannot allow unpatriotic elements to distract us from the task of diligently facing up to Nigeria's developmental challenges".
In his welcome address, Chairman of the NGF and governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, said "With the just concluded elections, Nigeria has once again demonstrated to the world what purposeful and committed leadership could achieve.
"In any federation, the role of state governors is quite critical in delivering democratic dividends to the people. Increased complexity of public administration occasioned by rising public awareness and legitimate expectations by the people we govern mean some form of preparedness is necessary before we take on this difficult challenge. Recent experience suggests that what we term as failure of governance is not necessarily a consequence of corruption or lack of desire by political actors to perform in office. Usually, lack of critical capacity or experience is a major factor".
He said the "program is organised to afford new and returning governors opportunities to share in the experiences of their peers as well as more senior colleagues and former governors from Nigeria and other parts of the world with more advanced democratic tradition. In the course of the next two days, we shall receive presentations and engage in conversations with experienced Nigerians and international resource persons as well as former governors on critical governance and policy issues. I am optimistic that this program will greatly assist the new governors and the older ones to better engage with the enormous responsibilities of their office and ultimately improve the quality of governance in our country".
Source: Sun, 20th May 2011.
People's Agenda: Fix Roads, Power And Tackle Corruption
BY ALABI WILLIAMS, ASSISTANT
AS President Goodluck Jonathan prepares to be inaugurated on May 29, Nigerians have offered candid suggestions on the type of government they want. They have given the idea of the calibre of persons they want appointed into the Federal Executive Council (FEC), as well as the policies that should form the fulcrum of government.
Eighty-two-year-old Second Republic Senator, Obi Nosike Ikpo, has not stopped yearning for the Nigeria of his dream. He longs to see a country where governance takes place and where citizens will enjoy better life.
He has charged the President to fulfill this dream by quickly revamping the power sector. According to him, all the industries have gone comatose because they do not have electricity to work with. The cost of doing business and sourcing private energy has forced businesses to close shop. To him, this is no longer acceptable, especially as it relates directly to unemployment and rising crime rate.
He said: "When are we going to have regular power? The first thing that any government that wants to touch the lives of the people should do is to bring power to the country. That is the most important thing."
Ikpo, who has a phobia for flights, has decided to sit down at home in Delta because, according to him, it is more risky to travel on road. He longs to visit Lagos but he is scared he could spend a whole day meandering through the Benin-Ore forests. Hence, he wants roads to be fixed because they are in a sorry state.
He also charges the President to flee corruption and insist that his team also do that. He said that is the surest way to curb corruption, by showing good example. He is most certain that when the President and his team show a bright example, the rest of Nigerians will begin to take a cue from that.
John Olusola Bayesheia (SAN) has spent over two decades crusading human rights issues in Kwara. On his expectations from Mr. President, he said Jonathan should break from the past and put in his cabinet persons with credibility. He wants the President to look outside his party for vibrant, young people, who can pilot affairs with ease.
Imagine he were President Jonathan at this point in time, he said, "I will lead my team to turn around the nation's economy. We need to give our people the expected sense of hope; I mean the reasons to believe in a better tomorrow.
We will improve the security network to guarantee safety of life and property. Besides, our roads are too bad; we need to put them in good shape. We have the resources to meet all these needs. So, nothing should hinder us."
Farouk Lawan, a ranking member of the House of Representatives from Bagwai/Shanono federal constituency of Kano State, and a member of the ruling party, does not want the President to reward party loyalty with key appointments. He said the cabinet should be made up of people who are properly educated, with track record of achievement. He wants professionals, who are not corrupt to work with Mr. President.
WHILE many Nigerians are eager to see the revamp of collapsed infrastructure, those who are conversant with the economy are impatient to see the blossoming of manufacturing because that is the real wealth spinner any day.
They reason that very soon, oil revenues will run dry because the resource itself is limited in supply. Therefore, they look forward to manufacturing, especially as the country is endowed with a lot of raw materials.
Mr. Romeo Barberopoulus is the executive chairman, Nigerian Foundries Limited and Chairman, Export Promotion Group of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN). All he wants is for President Jonathan to fulfill all previous promises government had made towards expanding the economy.
He said: "It is well known that countries that do not export more than what it imports cannot grow its economy. In the case of Nigeria, let's exclude oil because it will not last forever. So, there is a lot that should be put in place for our grandchildren.
"They say that it is easier to manage poverty than wealth but it appears for Nigeria, the last 12 years have proved that managing poverty is not easy because we had not seen anything other than promises. And we have heard so many promises, which had not been fulfilled and for which the majority of the citizens have lost hope that the government means what it says."
Still on the economy, the Vice President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Issa Aremu, finds it ludicrous that one week after elections, the most topical issue in political circles is how to zone choice offices, whereas the refineries are not working.
His words: "I mean, one week after the elections, all of a sudden, we had problem of supply of petroleum products. And we are saying this country is the 6th largest producer of crude oil in the world. We still remain the only country without functional refineries. Almost 98 percent of our petroleum products are imported.
"By now, with the international price of crude oil at about 120 dollars per barrel, Nigeria is supposed to be on her two legs in terms of revenue earnings from that sector, exporting crude, making money and at the same time exporting petroleum products. But now, we are strictly on one leg, exporting crude oil, and at the same time we are importing petroleum products; the second leg of importation is undermining that one leg. So, what you gain from export is negated by massive importation, which is a huge leakage of foreign earnings.
"What I am saying in essence is that; first, it is bad enough that there was no debate along this line even before the elections. All we heard was 'vote for me as the president; vote for me and I will fix your economy and so on."
On the calibre of men who should work with Mr. President, Aremu said that depends on the quality and quantity of programmes the President puts on the table. He said: "This is because you can only administer on ministers what is on the table. I think it is better that we put the horse before the cart.
What is the horse? It means where are the development agenda for the next four years. If you put a saintly minister, honest minister, learned minister, a professional minister in office without a coherent programme of development, without a focused programme of transformation of the country, which everybody should buy into, you won't get any result."
PROFESSOR Kimse Okoko, President of the Conference of Ethnic Nationalities of Niger Delta (CENND) and a chieftain of the Ijaw National Congress (INC), wants President Jonathan to know that all eyes are on him, and should deliver quickly and manifestly, too.
He said the President should do a deliberate search for qualified and competent persons, who would assist him to deliver his promises to the people.
He wants the refineries to be fixed, so that diesel and kerosene will be available. He wants the President to look at the energy crisis holistically and to ensure that the Petroleum Industry Bill becomes an effective law.
He said: "The President must take swift action to address the problem of power. If the power problem is not solved, we cannot solve the problem of massive unemployment that we are suffering in this country. The manufacturing sector is in comatose. Many manufacturing industries are folding up because of the expensive nature of production in Nigeria. So, power forms a major aspect of our development effort.
The Power Holding Company of Nigeria's workers are threatening strike. For goodness sake, let them allow government to come up with the right policies to ensure that the power problem is solved in this country."
Source: The Guardian, 15th May 2011.
I'll Shout if Jonathan Fails on Promises to Igbo — Gov Obi
By FEMI ADESINA and ONUOHA UKEH
At a time when Igbo are agitated over the zoning arrangement of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State has revealed what President Goodluck Jonathan promised to do for the South East geopolitical zone, which caused leaders of the zone to support his presidential aspiration.
Obi said that he and other Igbo leaders supported the president because he promised to fix South East roads, build second Niger Bridge and give the Igbo their due share in the country, among others. He said that any time Jonathan fails on these promises he would speak out.
The governor said that South East members of the PDP should explain to Igbo what went wrong in the sharing of offices, as announced by the party.
Despite the fact that your party, APGA won about 60 per cent of the state House of Assembly seats and about 60 per cent of the House of Representatives, you are being assessed on what happened at the senatorial election, where APGA lost all seats. The impression is that you were routed in Anambra State.
How do you react to that?
If you had followed the 2007 elections, you will notice that immediately after the elections I did a statewide broadcast. This year, I decided not to do that. This year's election is an improvement of what it used to be. We have seen improvement. What happened in the National Assembly elections was not the true reflection of the wishes of the people, but I don't want to say much because some of them are subject of litigation. The last two elections were more of the wishes of the people. The presidential election showed the wish of the people here. Anybody could raise an argument, but I can tell you that the result was the reflection of the wishes of the people. The House of Assembly also showed the wishes of the people. Do you know that all the senatorial candidates said to have won lost their local government areas? Some lost in their towns.
How do you win election when you lost your hometown and local government area?
The main problem is INEC applied simple majority in the National Assembly election. If it were like presidential or governorship election where you must win certain percentage across the senatorial zone, the result will be different. If you take the Anambra North, the two areas you will not lose are Onitsha South and Ogbaru. These are where you have largest concentration of people. In the senatorial zone, out of the 10 constituencies we won about six. The party declared winner in the senatorial election, got only two, while other parties won two. In the central senatorial zone, there are 10 House of Assembly constituencies. The winner of the senatorial seat again won two out of 10. We won six and other parties won the rest. In the South senatorial district, there are 10 House of Assembly constituencies. We won six. Other parties won two and the winner won only two. In each of them, they lost the two biggest local governments within the zone.
Chief Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu is, undoubtedly a formidable factor in Anambra politics, if not the entire Igbo land. During the governorship election, he campaigned for you and you won. In the last elections, he wasn't around. To what extent would you say his absence affected the outcome of the election?
In 2003, when we won everything, we denied. He was around in 2007, when we won everything and we were denied everything. In 2010, he was around. It was only my election at that time. This time, he was not around because he is not well and if he were around, he wouldn't have changed the results. He has done his beat. Whether he was here or not, it may not have changed anything.
Looking at the performance of APGA in Anambra and Imo, how do you see the party in the next four years when there will be another election, especially in the South East?
In Anambra State, we got up to 60 per cent. I can tell you, it wasn't easy to achieve that. All of you are in the media and so you know the big names in Anambra. All these big names are on one side and for us to defeat them in 2010 and in this one is a feat. Until this election, I have been operating with zero number of APGA membership in Anambra House of Assembly; zero in the House of Representatives and zero in the Senate. To have come from there to where we are now, with all the heavy weights and all known names on the other side, is a great achievement. It's a sign of good things to come.
People have this impression that you have not done much for the growth of APGA in the South East. They compared you to Bola Tinubu, former governor of Lagos State, who was able to grow his party. How committed are you to ensure that APGA survives after your tenure expires?
I always tell people that the day you measure the income of Anambra and the income of most states and what we have been able to achieve with that income, you will appreciate the enormity of my achievements. We live in a country where we do compare two different situations, like comparing what is happening in New York Times of America to what is happening in a Nigerian newspapers. In America, you cannot compare the state of Arkansas, whose budget is not up to 10 per cent the budget of state of New York. Here, if anybody wants to compare me, there are about five states that I don't receive up to 10 per cent of what each of them receives every month. People will be saying look at this man and what he is doing, but nobody wants to compare your level of income. However, I can tell you that if you compare my income to my achievement, it is far better than the other party.
You should remember that Tinubu didn't do this magic when he was governor. He was not impeached. His tenure was not cut short, and he didn't go for constitution interpretation. We are making progress. This is the first we are winning election in Nnewi, Ojukwu's local government. In 2003, 2007 and 2010 we lost. This time, in all elections, we won Nnewi. As I said, the key areas, which you use to measure the strength of the party, are, Awka North and South, Nnewi North and South and Onitsha North and South Federal constituencies, which we all won. We have done very well as a party.
In the build-up to the presidential election, APGA endorsed PDP candidate. What's the deal that led to this? We ask this because PDP has zoned offices and South East did not get much.
The South East governors agreed not to contest for the presidential and the vice presidential positions. We said we would support any candidate with the best interest for the South East. When we looked at the programmes of all the candidates and their promises, Jonathan came tops. That's why we gave him our support and urged our people to support him. I urged my party to support him and I still support him. There are two things here: what he promised to the South East, as a people and the other one is PDP power sharing proceeds. One is confined to the party. When we were talking with Jonathan, we were not talking of PDP sharing formula. Our position is what is there for the masses of the South East and Nigeria as a country and through out his campaign he was consistent that, for example, he would fix Enugu airport to become international airport. He said he would tackle the erosion problem, which is our problem. he said he would build second Niger Bridge. He said he would ensure that we generate power because our people are entrepreneurs and need electricity. These are areas that will benefit the masses of this zone. He went ahead, during the campaigns, to release about N11billion to fight erosion problem and the World Bank is already working with us. These areas where my colleagues and I were looking at because that is what benefits the people.
When you are talking about PDP sharing process, the people we should be asking are the PDP people from our zone. I am not part of that. That was not included in any of my negotiations. I didn't go there to negotiate what individuals would benefit, whether you make Peter Obi's wife this or that person. No. I wasn't looking at that. I was looking at what will benefit my people. He made a firm promise. These are things I want him to do for my people and if tomorrow he is not delivering that, I will say the man is failing on his promises. Never at anytime in our discussion that we bring in PDP power sharing formula.
Are you satisfied with the sharing formula?
As a person, I have to look at what is given to my people, but, as I said before, we have our brothers and sisters who are part of this group and they are the people that should have been part of this sharing formula. Again, personally, I will say let us look at what is there for our people and not just who occupies what.
We have gone round, seen lot of infrastructure. What are you doing about job creation?
What you have seen today is part of job creation. Building infrastructure is part of job creation. In building infrastructure, people have to build it; so they are employed and people have to be in those offices. This state today has a clear vision to achieve the MDGs. The first goal of MDG is fighting poverty and you can't do that without job creation and that has led us to opening up our state, for our people to bring out farm produce from Ogbaru and other places. Again, we said we were going to create about 5, 000 jobs. We have now employed about 2, 200, 1000 in primary schools, 1, 000 in secondary schools and 2, 000 in computer teaching and many of them in civil service. We are also beginning to come up with condusive environment in our universities. This is what we are doing in job creation and we are trying to attract more foreign investors. We are also working with a South African firm, which is going to build its plants in Anambra. Such plants will employ people. We are working with another company to generate and distribute power here, which will, in turn, help to resuscitate moribund industries and they would employ people.
You mentioned that some of the election results will pass through judiciary test and you know you are a master of that route. Are you confident that tribunal will do justice to the cases?
I have always believed that the judiciary in this country is one of the best.
You are the head of Governors' Forum, in South East and the deputy at the national level. With the national chairman of the forum not returning, are you going to take over at the national level?
No. I thank the governors of the South East, who repose confidence in for me to be chairman. I also thank my colleagues at the centre, who, when the occasion came, they also repose confidence in me. As I always said, my name is Peter Obi and not Governor Peter Obi. I will not be governor forever. The only thing I do is ensure that those who repose confidence in me are not disappointed. I try to live up to expectation.
It is said that you were the one that asked Prof Dora Akunyili to vie for the senatorial election, but some people are blaming you for not helping her to win?
Some people will always look for who to blame at any time. I remember when we went to World Cup, in South Africa and we lost, some people said to me that the government is to be blamed for the failure. There were players, but they blamed the government.
Will you support that she be nominated for ministerial post, since APGA is working with government in power?
I have told you that my support for the president is based on what he will do for Igbo and not what he will do for individuals. My interest is not who gets what. My interest is for the Federal Government budget to reflect equally in every zone, especially since we have been denied for along time. Look at the roads, they have turned to death trap: Enugu-Port Harcout, Enugu-Onitsha, Enugu-Abakaliki, Onitsha-Owerri and other federal roads. I want them fixed. I am interested in second Niger Bridge and the Enugu international airport.
The hospitals we visited are monumental edifices, but the environment was not well kept. The hospitals are overgrown with weeds?
I agree with you. The reason is very simple. If you know where we were coming from, you will appreciate what we have been able to do far. If you go to Onitsha today, there are road sweepers. Some of the huge projects, you saw, including the business park, used to be refuse dumps. There's a place called Creek Road. Nobody passed there before, but today, the dirt is gone. Gradually, we will get everything done. We can't do these things overnight and it didn't happen anywhere over night. Today, we are the least indebted state in the country. We have not borrowed any kobo. Everybody is issuing bonds, but we are not going to do that. We believe in our income and we have been able to achieve what those who have issued billions of bonds can't.
The challenge of governance is not about building structures. How have you been able to build human capacity?
We are changing people's priorities and we are changing the values. We are bringing a change in any system. In terms of human training, let me start from the school system. The second goal of MDG is to achieve universal primary education. Our primary schools are doing very well. Our secondary schools are doing very very well. When we came on board, no secondary school had a functional science laboratory. None had a computer classroom. None had a borehole. As we speak, we have been to get 120, 000 computers, including laptops in the schools. I have been able to do about 120 boreholes in the schools. All the schools have functional science laboratories. We are about providing all the secondary schools libraries; over 100 of them have vehicles. We have been able to give all the schools owned by the missionaries back to them.
Before we came in, not one day did the civil servant receive any form of training. Today, our permanent secretaries are being trained overseas, and all sorts of training have been introduced. We are working with European Union and World Bank on training. These were not there. I didn't have a secretariat and even this place (Government House) was not there. I rebuilt the burnt governor's office. We have built the first public library since 1966, after the Onitsha library. Ojukwu built Onitsha library in 1966 and I renovated it. Before I came, the library became a motor park and restaurant. I chased them away and renovated it.
Onitsha, the gateway to Anambra, is an eyesore, from the Niger Bridge. Doesn't this bother you?
I would have shown you a proposal I want to put up to the president to authorize me to do that Onitsha bridge area you know that it's a federal road. It's critical to me to do this. That contract, from the Onitsha bridgehead to Awka, had been awarded to CCC. It is an on-going contract, but it is not being funded. I want to fund it and get refunded. If I get the approval tomorrow, it will be a different story.
Are you having problems getting authorization?
I'm requesting for that. Our vision is to achieve the MGD. When you have a vision, which is your destination, you must have a vehicle that will take you to your destination. Anambra State Integrated Development Strategy (ANIDS) is only a vehicle that we are using to drive to other destination. It is just a process that allows us to plan, budget and execute our plans. Development is not only in one area. It's in every area. We are pursuing every goal of MDG and we are doing well in every goal. We studied all sectors and that is what development is all about.
We believe that you would want your vision to outlive your tenure. Now you have done one year in the second term and three more years to go. In the spirit of continuity, have you ever thought about a successor? Are you grooming one?
That is a godfather area. I believe that should be for the people. Mine is trying to lay foundation for true governance and be able to build institution that would endure. As I said before, bringing change is very important to me. All over the world, change agents hardly survive the change. They are consumed by it, especially those who live by the constitution. People will meet you and say that since you became the governor you have not done anything for them personally. Don't you know the number of people who will tell me that they have not benefited from me? Even some people that work with you are not all happy. What do you want me to do? The worst is that nobody tells you what he wants. They just assumed that you know what they want.
Some of your colleagues are subscribing to a review of the revenue allocation formula. Do you also subscribe to that?
All of us are, because the reason the Federal Government is receiving the huge allocation is no longer there. The airports, seaports and other things have been concessioned. If you put the overhead of the states put together, it is higher than the Federal Government's. Costs within the states put together are higher than the Federal Government's. There is need to readjust the revenue formula, in the interest of the country. There is the need to look at the regional basis for the interest of the country. So, it is not a question of agitation. It is a question of saying what is in the interest of the country. Just as I always say, it is time for us to sit down and plan as a nation. Nigeria is a signatory to MDGs. Other countries that are signatories are pursuing it, as a vision. The issue of water, that every citizen should have access to water, we would just sign it. It's time we take them as an issue. Even if we don't have water scheme all over the place, the local government can be doing borehole; the state government can do the medium sized water scheme and the Federal Government can take the big time water scheme. Same thing can go on in health sector, so that there is plan. But now, we are working and quarrelling with each other.
From what we read on the Internet, it's tempting to conclude that there is crisis in Peter Obi government, particularly high turnover of commissioners, special assistants?
Don't listen to them. In this state or in this zone, my commissioners are the longest. Those who came in with me are still there for five years and I don't know other people who have done this. In five years, out of about 20 executive council members, only about three have left. Within the first year of some other governments, more than six would leave. People have sacked all political appointees, dissolved executive council. Even in Lagos, if a commissioner leaves it is not news, but here if a commissioner leaves in Anambra, it becomes news. When there is strike in Lagos, you won't know there is strike. During the doctors' strike in Lagos, they didn't kill Fashola, and they didn't say he was not doing anything. Ajimobi, without taking over, is quarrelling with Akala over N18, 000 minimum wage. He said it would cripple him. In Ekiti, the governor sacked three VCs and it's not a problem. In Anambra, this would be a big issue.
The commissioner for commerce and industry said some groups were threatening his life. He has a young family. I followed him to the police station to report the matter. He later chose to quit. When I did not have need for a chief of staff, I reassigned the occupier of the office. I have a permanent secretary in the Government House, who does administrative work. I considered her more useful to me. She guides me in something I do. When I became the bank chairman, I wasn't a banker. The first thing I did was to get a banker that knew banking, as my key staff. When I wanted to take a decision, he would advise me. Till today I have an administrative staff, who have retired but I'm keeping her because she can tell me this is how it is done in government. I have director of budgeting. He will tell me the budgetary process, and you need it. People succeed not because they are the best but because they hired the best.
There's the talk that Igbo are marginalized. How would you assess the lot of the Igbo in Nigeria?
Where I want to start is that you take a look at the Nigerian budget since 1999. It shows all the capital budget spent in Igbo land. If you assess it, you will know we are very much marginalized. You know we are unfairly treated; that was why I was saying, in the first place, that my own agitation is for fairness, treating each region as a component of Nigeria. It is only Igbo, in Nigeria that goes to another zone, build a house, live there, help in building the place. If you go to Lagos today, who are the major contributors to the economy? They are Igbo. It is the same when you go to the North, including Abuja. But what do we get in return? We are unfairly treated. That is why when Jonathan gave his offer, we supported him and I will still support his presidency through out the time he would be in office. My support is not something that people question. The promises have to be fulfilled, so that we have a sense of belonging in the country.
Your simplicity in government is noted. You don't travel with a large entourage.
What informed this kind of lifestyle?
Well, I won't say it's simplicity, when you live your normal life. Before I came here, I was chairman of a bank. For me, this is a temporary job and I said it before, my name is Peter Obi, not Peter Governor and I want to live my life. I don't want my office to change my life. I want my life to change the office and that is what I'm doing. I want to change the office. Again, travelling alone is also because I have to look at the cost and the income of the state. We are not as lucky as those with enough money to go with 18 or more people. There was a trip we went. Others were staying in a hotel that was very expensive. I didn't see the reason to stay in a hotel that's costly. The cost was twice more than my overnight allowance. I found a place where I spent only 20 per cent of my overnight allowance and I slept well.
Who fixed allowance for the governor?
It was there when I came. I think it is reasonable. It is not just abroad, even in Nigeria, there are hotels that I don't sleep in because they are too expensive. When I was in the bank, it was the same thing. Now I still stay in the same hotel I stayed as Mr. Obi, which I can afford. Even when I was in the bank, it was the thing. People boast about going to the guest houses in Ikoyi. I was chairman of many companies that have their guest houses in Ikoyi, but I would go to my house in Festac Town and sleep. You see, changing your lifestyle is not easy when you want to change it back. That was why it was easy for me when I was impeached to go back to my village and I want to go back there without feeling that I have lost anything. This is just a temporary job, where I have had the opportunity, above everything, to serve for the first term twice.
People say that politics is a dirty game. You are a gentleman, but have survived. How did you do it?
Let me say categorically, if dirty people play a game, it is a dirty game. If good people play politics, it is a good game. It is something we must do with civility; that is why I said before that even the issue of election, we have a process by which to challenge it. I can say in this country categorically, that nobody has challenged the rascality of politics more than I. I have been in court for more than three years challenging my governorship election and nobody did that before. Eventually I got my mandate through the process of the court.
I was the first person to do that. Again, when I was impeached, people asked me to run out of the country. I said no, that the impeachment was wrong and I challenged it, without quarrelling with anybody. Through the due process of the law, I got it back for the first time. When they were campaigning to remove me, when my tenure had not elapsed, I did not quarrel with anybody. I was not part of the campaign. I used to meet Dr. Andy Uba. We were not quarrelling, but I challenged his election because it was illegal. Then, my tenure had not ended. I went to Supreme Court that decided the right thing. I didn't have to quarrel and call people names.
Anywhere you have seen me call people names, it is during campaigns and I call them in their presence. We need to bring civility into politics. All the parties' objectives should be to build a better Nigeria for our children. We don't have any other country. The ultimate aim is to build a better Nigeria. If any part of Nigeria fails, Nigeria has failed. I live in Lagos, have interest in Lagos, Abuja and everywhere. For me, politics must be played with civility; that is why those of us in office should treat others as human beings, treat people fairly. When I'm going to work, I see school children and the elderly people trying to cross the road. I ask my driver to stop, so that they can pass.
Are people paying tax in Anambra to shore up your IGR and what must the Igbo man do?
Are people paying tax? No. They don't pay and they have not been used to paying. Somebody who is doing the naming ceremony of his child is ready to spend over half a million Naira but the same person is not prepared to pay N25, 000 for me to build school infrastructure to train his child to become a human being. That is why I said we are challenging their priorities and their values. I'm sure one day we get it right.
The first thing for the Igbo people to do is to love each other, work together as a people with a common purpose and be able to engage their counterparts in other parts of the country together, negotiate together and be able to ensure they work together for equity and fairness for the good of Nigeria.
Out of six states in South West, ACN controls five, do you envisage that by 2015 APGA would control if not all the five states, at least four in the South East?
If I can do that, I will be glad. We are beginning to awaken Igbo political identity and it will be. The most important thing, as I said, is for us to work together.
Source: Sun, 20th May 2011.
Back
Finally, Atiku Congratulates Jonathan
By Yemi Adebowale
At last, former vice-president Atiku Abubakar has congratulated President Goodluck Jonathan on his recent election as President, asking him to use the opportunity of his victory to unite the country.
Also, Atiku who battled Jonathan at the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary election congratulated all elected state governors, senators, House of Representatives members and members of the state houses of assembly particularly those of his party, PDP.
In a statement issued yesterday by his media office in Abuja, the former vice-president said with the successful conclusion of this year's general election, "all elected leaders and fellow countrymen should get to work in earnest to deliver the much-needed democratic dividends to Nigerians."
He said all those who may have any reservations with the outcome of the elections should avail themselves with laid down judicial processes in seeking redress and not to resort to acts that may be inimical to national unity and stability.
Atiku urged President Jonathan to use the opportunity of his election to unite the country, saying that should be his immediate challenge as President-elect.
In view of the post-election violence that greeted the election in some parts of the North, Atiku advised Jonathan to begin an urgent healing process in the entire country and within the PDP family as well.
He said with the challenges of improving the quality of life of Nigerians, the President has a duty to heal the deep divisions and wounded feelings, which may be needless distractions to the challenges of governance that lies ahead.
According to Atiku, the future and unity of a nation should be uppermost in the mind of every statesman.
While extending his hands of fellowship to President Jonathan, the former vice-president advised him to carry every section of the country along regardless of how they may have voted during the elections.
He explained that partisan politics ends with the election of leaders and that the next challenge should focus on how to uplift the welfare of Nigerians.
"It is no longer news that President Jonathan and our camp differed on matters of principle. But let no one be in doubt about our resolve to work together with him in the arduous task of economic development and nation building," Atiku said.
The congratulatory message is coming over a week after the former military president, Gen-eral Ibrahim Babangida, congratulated Jonathan as the President elect.
Also, the international community had congratulated Jonathan for the election, saying the April poll was free and fair, eventhough it may not be perfect.
Both Atiku and Babangida are members of the Northern Politicians Elders Forum, which worked to present a consensus presidential candidate to confront Jonathan at the PDP presidential primary on January 13 in Abuja.
Atiku had emerged as the Northern consensus candidate but Jonathan defeated him at the PDP primary.
Source: This Day, 30th April 2011.
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Easter: Jonathan Preaches Peace, Unity
By IHUOMA CHIEDOZIE and SUCCESS NWOGU
President Goodluck Jonathan has urged all Nigerians to use the opportunity offered by the Easter celebrations to renounce violence and unite in the interest of peace and development of the country.
He also expressed warm felicitations to the nation, and Christians in particular, on the occasion of the Easter celebrations.
Jonathan's call came just as the President, Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor and the Dean, Church of Nigeria and Bishop of Lagos, Anglican Communion, the Most Reverend Adebola Ademowo, appealed to the people to take a cue from the lesson of Easter by showing patriotism and by serving the country selflessly.
In his Easter message to the nation, Jonathan also admitted that he had been entrusted with a responsibility as a result of his "massive victory in the presidential elections."
He said, "The major significance of Easter is its promise of renewal and redemption for mankind, as well as in its lessons of peace, love, selflessness and sacrifice for the common good."
Noting that this year's Easter celebration "came in the midst of historic elections that will further consolidate progressive democratic governance in the country", the President urged Nigerians, Christians and non-Christians alike, to "seize the opportunity of the season to reflect on its lessons, forsake hate and violence, and embrace peace and unity for the successful conclusion of the elections."
He urged both Christian and Muslim preachers to utilise their pulpits to preach peace and harmony, "so that children of both faiths will grow up as brothers, sisters and friends."
The President promised a purposeful, thoroughly focused and dynamic post-May 29 administration and assured the people that every section of the country would be carried along in the implementation of his agenda for national transformation and that the equitable distribution of developmental projects to all parts of the country would remain a cardinal principle of his administration.
Oritsejafor said that the successful conduct and outcome of the Presidential election in Nigeria had shown that there was great hope for the nation.
According to him, those who died and others who suffered injuries or loss of property to the post presidential elections in the northern part of the country did not die or suffer in vain because they paid the prize for the greatness of Nigeria.
Oritsejafor, who made this observation in his Easter message on Friday, called on politicians to avoid violence, 'do-or-die' orientation, and other acts capable of disrupting public peace and threatening the corporate existence of the nation.
He told politicians that lost at the poll to remember that there would be another opportunity and explained that violent reaction was selfish and not in the interest of the nation.
The CAN President, who described Easter as the cornerstone of Christianity, called on the people to make more sacrifices for the greatness of Nigeria.
Oritsejafor said, "All those who have lost relations, dear ones and friends in the mayhem that attended the announcement of the just concluded presidential elections in (some) parts of the North (should) keep hope alive because in a way those who died had not died in vain. To me they have also paid a prize for this nation to be great and their sacrifice will not be in vain. God will definitely comfort and console members of their families as we send our condolences to them.
Source: Punch, 24th April 2011.
Jonathan Preaches Peace
FROM MADU ONUORAH (ABUJA) AND CHRIS IREKAMBA
Okogie, Oritsejafor, Others Demand Selfless Leadership
PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan yesterday said that with the conclusion of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, all Nigerians should renounce violence and unite in the interest of peace and development of the country.
In his Easter Message to the nation, the president expressed warm felicitations to the nation, and Christians in particular.
He observed that the major significance of Easter is its promise of renewal and redemption for mankind, as well as in its lessons of peace, love, selflessness and sacrifice for the common good.
The president's message comes as religious leaders urged celebrants and Nigerian leaders to imbibe the spirit of Easter and emulate the selfless service of Jesus Christ, who came to redeem man from sin and destruction.
The leaders, who spoke on the significance of Easter during the week, include Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Anthony Cardinal Okogie; Dean, Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Rev. Ephraim Adebola Ademowo; and General Overseer of the Lord's Chosen Charismatic Revival Ministries, Pastor Lazarus Muoka.
Others are the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; Prelate of the Methodist Church of Nigeria, Dr. Sunday Ola Makinde; Anglican Bishop of Lagos West, Rt. Rev. Peter Adebiyi; and the General Overseer of the Holiness Bible Ministries, Ilasamaja, Lagos, Pastor Austin Udeoha.
Cardinal Okogie called on the President-elect to display true and patriotic leadership capable of addressing lack of social amenities in the country, adding that Jonathan should surround himself with men and women of knowledge, and not sycophants.
Rev. Ademowo said, "Easter is a season of joy and hope and that Christ's resurrection has given us the power of resurrection to resurrect anything that is dead in our lives, homes, churches, institutions, nation and the world in general.
For Pastor Muoka, "Christ's resurrection has paid the price of our sins at the Cross of Calvary at this particular time. This is the time that, we have to say, 'I will not allow Jesus Christ to die for me in vain."
Pastor Oritsejafor, said: "Easter is the cornerstone of the Christian faith, which stands for the death and eventual resurrection of the progenitor of the Christian faith."
Prelate Makinde said, "Easter is that time in the history of Christendom when we remember and celebrate the essence of Christianity; that is, Jesus Christ. Easter is a day of rejoicing, celebration, happiness and hope restored and renewed."
Dissatisfied with the killing of innocent Nigerians in the North, including members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Rev. Adebiyi recommended the scrapping of the NYSC programme "in order to spare parents of regular pain of mourning and weeping over their young innocent children."
President Jonathan observed that the major significance of Easter is its promise of renewal and redemption for mankind, as well as in its lessons of peace, love, selflessness and sacrifice for the common good.
Noting that this year's celebration comes in the midst of historic elections that will further consolidate progressive democratic governance in the country, the president urged Nigerians, "Christians and non-Christians alike, to seize the opportunity offered by the season to reflect on its lessons, forsake hate and violence, and embrace peace and unity for the successful conclusion of the elections."
He used the opportunity "to urge both Christian and Muslim preachers to utilise their pulpits to preach peace and harmony, so that children of both faiths will grow up as brothers, sisters and friends."
President Jonathan thanked Nigerians once again for turning out in millions to give him a resounding mandate in the election of April 16.
He said that his administration was "taking all necessary steps to ensure that the nation quickly overcomes the trauma of the untoward events that followed the declaration of the results and unite to participate in the remaining elections in order to ensure a peaceful transition on May 29, 2011."
Stating that he was aware of the great responsibility his massive victory in the presidential elections bestows on him, Jonathan assured Nigerians that he would work tirelessly to fulfil his campaign promises in the next four years.
He promised "a purposeful, thoroughly focused and dynamic post-May 29 Administration that will continue to give priority attention to the critical developmental challenges facing the nation, particularly the rehabilitation and expansion of national infrastructure as well as the improvement of public services such as education and healthcare."
He said every section of the country would be carried along in the implementation of his agenda for national transformation and that the equitable distribution of developmental projects to all parts of the country would remain a cardinal principle of his administration.
Jonathan assured the nation that he would continue to work with all interest groups in the country to achieve peaceful, secure and politically stable conditions essential for rapid economic development and the creation of millions of new jobs for Nigeria's youthful population.
The president said that he would continue to count on the support and prayers of all Nigerians, and act in the best interest of the nation at all times.
Source: The Guardian, 24th April 2011.
It Is Time To Build The Nation - President
President Goodluck Jonathan said yesterday that in the aftermath of the presidential elections, it was now time to focus on nation building to chart a new beginning.
Jonathan stated this when a delegation of the Northern Political Summit Group (G-20) paid him a congratulatory visit at the State House, Abuja.
"Now that the presidential election has been concluded, it is time to build our nation and this should be a new beginning for all Nigerians,'' he declared.
The president challenged all political leaders in the country to work together for the common interest of the nation and serve as the pillars upon which the future of the country would be built.
He said the G-20 deserved to be congratulated for "working so hard to defuse the ethnic divisions'' in the country during the campaigns.
The president commended the G-20 for hosting the Northern Economic Summit, and said that government would consider the recommendations for implementation, in order to improve the economy of the north.
The president expressed appreciation to members of the Group for supporting him during the campaigns.
Earlier, the Wakilin Adamawa and leader of the G-20, Alhaji Hassan Adamu, congratulated Jonathan for his success in the Presidential election and prayed for success of the administration.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Group presented congratulatory cards to President Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo.
Source: Leadership, 24th April 2011.
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