Farooq Kperogi And His Herd Of Mourners, By David Onmeje Onmeje
As a social commentator, there are some people I have regards for, and there are also some I do not have considerations for. The reasons are simple.
There is a group that believes that the pen is mightier than the sword and are circumspect in their writings. The other group of people who are opportunists masquerading as social commentators, while in truth, their motivation is for monetary gains. Farooq Keprogi and his ilk’s constitute the bulk of the second group and primarily why I am writing this piece. “If you are not ready to hear the truth, don’t come to my palace!”
Farooq Kperogi was one of the presidential speechwriters during the regime between 2002 to 2004. So in a way, it is expected that he would not ordinarily see any good in the present administration in solidarity with his former boss. I stand to be corrected. He has also somewhat displayed some erratic tendencies that indicate he may be offended by the theory of unfulfilled expectation regarding political patronage.
Just maybe. However, that is a topic for another day.
As stated earlier, I think Nigerians should be wary of writings from such individuals especially on issues of national interest. This is not to say that he hasn’t contributed his share of brilliant writings over time, but rather to say that his recent posturing as reflected in his writings are suspect and highly misleading.
For some inexplicable reasons, Farooq Kperogi now seems to celebrate bad news. He seems to be quick in passing judgments like he would have done better if given the opportunity. The worrisome aspect of it all is that he is far away from the truth in Atlanta and ordinarily would depend on second-hand information or secondary data to keep abreast of happenings in Nigeria.
As a supposed researcher, he should know that secondary data are viewed with a pinch of salt because, the accuracy of secondary data is questionable due to, and, the data may be outdated. I do not like to make classifications, but in this instance, I am forced to state that Farooq Kperogi has joined questionable characters like Deji Adeyanju who have made it their stock in trade to wait for a bomb to detonate and they get pictures of disaster scenes outside Nigeria and post online without having the courtesy to verify.
Yes, that is how bad they have taken their trade. And I am not surprised. I am of the opinion that Nigerians should not take these characters seriously because at some point I could not make a sense out of their supposed intellectual abilities. For Deji Adeyanju, it is quite understandable, because even my four -year-old daughter wouldn’t take him seriously because of his antecedents. But for Farooq Kperogi, it is hard to understand what went wrong.
So much so that I recall asking a senior colleague of mine if he could place the rationale for Farooq’s recent decline in engaging the minds of his readers with quality research work. And his response was apt. He said, “Kperogi has lost it.”
Indeed, I agreed with him entirely because his arguments are mostly unfounded and laced with outright insinuations and illogical conclusions. This is aside from the fact that his delivery is also incoherent and deficient. And this is supposed to be an assistant professor. I mean, the preconceived mindset can be easily deciphered by a discerning mind.
And the question is how did he disintegrate this low? A situation where a group of people for reasons best known to them would spread outright falsehood to the unsuspecting public just merely because they can express themselves in writings is at best uncharitable and a great disservice to the fatherland. It is more like they are in support of evil.
For example, they are quick to publicise to the world the activities of terrorist in Nigeria. They are also quick to let the world know that we are experiencing terrorism. They are quick to post pictures and share stories. But they always shy away from projecting the great efforts of the government of the day. They have constituted themselves into mourners. They eagerly await the next news on evil so that they can propagate it. But for how long they wish to do this is best known to them.
One thing they cannot deny is the fact that the government of the day has shown an unalloyed commitment to the Nigerian cause unlike in times past where Nigeria almost became a Banana republic. The government of the day does not need the approval rating of a few that are not resident in the country to disburse the dividends of democracy to her citizens. The government of the day is also not distracted by the antics of those that do not mean well for the country.
Interestingly, these individuals are not in the majority, but rather in an infinitesimal group who are blinded by the quest for flirty lucre to continue to cast aspersion on the giant development strides recorded in Nigeria in the past three years in critical areas.
Farooq Kperogi and his co-travelers should know and do better than what they are doing. They should retrace their steps and join hands in efforts at nation-building. The global community’s appreciation of the giant strides that have been made by President Buhari’s Administration in fighting terrorism and corruption, as well as in deftly managing the nation’s economy at a time of global economic downturn, is an indication that the Administration is on course in its quest to ensure a better life for the people.
Nigeria shall thrive again; Nigeria is on the path to greatness. And we shall get there as a people and as a country regardless of the grand efforts of the agents of darkness.
And it behooves on all well-meaning Nigerians to continue to work for a united Nigeria.
Farooq Kperogi and his group of mourners should take note.
David Onmeje Onmeje is a UK trained PR Consultant.
Former Nigeria’s Vice President and the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has been formally turbaned the seventh Waziri of Adamawa. The position of Waziri makes the former vice president next to the Lamido of Adamawa, Muhammadu Barkindo, in the hierarchy in the emirate.
Former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has made it clear that there will be no war in the 2019 general elections in Nigeria but that those who want war will see war.
A former Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Femi Bamisile, has described the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) as an Aberration and a Canker worm to both political and economic advancement of Nigeria.
Former Nigeria military Head of State, retired General Yakubu Gowon, has again, organized a Special National Prayer Service during which time he called on Nigerians to pray for the nation in order to have peace and prosperity restored.
Nigeria’s singers Davido, Tiwa Savage and Falz have won awards at the fifth All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA), held in Accra, Ghana yesterday, Saturday night.
The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has responded with heavy airstrikes directed at Boko Haram locations and vehicles after about one hundred soldiers were killed in a coordinated attack on a military base in Metele village of Guzamala Local Government Area, Borno State.
Where Reps Goofed On N5.8 Billion Intervention Fund And Osinbajo, By Chike Nwoko
In a season of partisan emotion, fair, objective reactions to matters in the public square have indeed become a strenuous undertaking. This is even more so when respected democratic institutions misjudge equally respected, elected senior citizens. But, perhaps, more importantly, democracy would lose its defining equality if it foreclosed or abridged the free exercise of democratic functions by relevant complimentary institutions.
Such was the case when, recently, the House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness, at the instance of the Lower House, investigated an alleged “Violation of Public Trust in National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).”
In the course of this so-called investigation, His Excellency, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo was blamed for authorizing the disbursement of N5.8 billion for food security intervention purposes in the troubled North-East region.
What was responsible for the beef by the Reps? The Lower House had alleged that a sum of N5, 865,671,939.26 (for emergency intervention on food security to the North-East to support the population ravaged by insurgency) was approved and released in June 2017, vide a memo raised from the Office of the Acting President, directing the Hon. Minister of Finance and the Accountant General of the Federation to so act.
The details, according to the report of the Committee, further specified a directive to the Governor of CBN from the Ministry of Finance to pay the sum from the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account for which the AGF was to raise a mandate. According to the Reps, this was in contravention of approval by the National Assembly on the issuance of Euro Bond from which the Hon. Minister authorized the payment, further holding that the Euro Bond was for specified infrastructural projects and not for discretionary intervention.
They further held that there was no specific appropriation by NASS in this connection and that it contravened Section 80 (4) of the 1999 Constitution as amended: which states: “No money shall be withdrawn from the Consolidated Revenue Fund or any other public fund of the Federation, except in the manner prescribed by the National Assembly.”
Significantly, the conclusion reached by the House of Reps Committee under focus is both false and misleading. Simply put, the Lower House goofed. Vice President Osinbajo, who assumed office after taking the oath of office on 29 May, 2015 at the Eagle Square, Abuja, is an erudite Professor of Law, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and a Senior Pastor of The Redeemed Christian Church of God to boot and needs pretty little tutoring on the finer points of constitutionalism.
The period at which the acting presidential intervention came was when Internally Displaced Persons and their host communities faced severe food shortages throughout the North East, as a result of successive poor harvests, abandoned farmlands, minimal cross-border cash crop trade and lost economic opportunities.
It could be recalled that the United Nations World Food Programme had on April 15, 2017 issued a warning that it would be reducing its support to about 1.8 million IDPs by as much as 85%, due to corresponding reduction in funding by the donor countries.
Further, at the same time, the United Nations Commission for Refugees in Geneva also warned of the growing risk of mass deaths from starvation among people living in the conflict areas. The Federal Government simply moved urgently to prevent the looming disaster by establishing a strategic food intervention plan for the affected States.
The Reps couldn’t have so quickly forgotten that a Presidential Committee on Emergency Food Delivery to the North East was convened and the Committee met on the 13th of May, 2017 to kick-off the process, with the then Acting President as Chairman.
Other members of the Committee included the Minister of Finance; Minister of Budget and National Planning; Minister of State for Budget and National Planning; Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development; Governor of Central Bank; Deputy Chief of Staff to the President; and the Senior Special Assistant in the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President.
Flowing from the deliberations of this and subsequent meetings, the approval referred to in the House Committee’s report was, in fact, based on a request raised by the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria as facilitator of the National Food Security Programme, via a letter dated May 25, 2017.
The said letter specifically clarified there was an immediate need to distribute grains, including rice, maize, soya beans and sorghum, to Internally Displaced Persons through the National Emergency Management Agency. The only way to obtain the quantity of grains required was to resort to the National Food Security Progamme earlier established by the Federal Government as a means of shoring up its strategic grain reserves.
The foregoing facts are not secret and are verifiable. It is a fact that during emergency situations, the Public Procurement Act supported such executive approval for fund without necessarily going through legislative vetting.
Moreover, the VP was Acting President when the matter under analysis transpired and had the full compliments of power to approve the fund meant for an emergency situation. It is an open secret that under the Public Procurement Act, there is a provision for such emergency spending. So, it is within the powers vested in the executive that was exercised by the then Acting President Osinbajo, in this case, to make the approval.
These facts simply rubbish the allegations of procedural infractions committed by the then Acting President in ordering the drawing of the approved funds from the nation’s consolidated revenue. Details of where the money was sourced from, when it was done, and who did it can be sourced from the Finance Minister.
In conclusion, the VP as Acting President had the full authority to approve the money in that (emergency) circumstance, and clearly, within the Nation’s laws. It is, therefore, pertinent to state here that Vice President Osinbajo continues to prove his diligence in exercising his duties, as the number two citizen of Nigeria, beyond a reasonable doubt and he clearly puts national interest first. He is a disciplined leader worthy of emulation by all aspiring leaders and shows exemplary respect to other democratic institutions.
As a watcher of socio-political and economic developments in our nation, this is my take on this issue and until I am convinced by very cogent and verifiable reasons to believe otherwise, the House of Reps and its Committee goofed.