The Senate has suspended Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP, Bauchi Central) over alleged false allegation that the National Assembly inflated the 2024 budget by a staggering N3 trillion. At the Tuesday, March 12 plenary meeting in the Red Chamber, he was placed on suspension. Godswill Akpabio, the president of the Senate, led the meeting. Akpabio lamented that Ninig has completely caused destruction of the Senate’s integrity. A member of the Appropriation Committee in the Senate, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, first moved the motion for Ningi’s suspension for 12 months over allegations of criminal misinformation and breach of peace in the National Assembly and the country by extension. However, other lawmakers, like Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong moved for the amendment of the motion by Ibrahim. Ekpenyong, who is from Cross River South Senatorial District, prayed for the reduction of the suspension to six months. However, it was agreed that the Bauchi lawmaker will be suspended from the Senate for three months without pay. Recall that Senator Abdul Ningi, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Saturday, alleged that the National Assembly padded the 2024 budget with N3.7 trillion. The Bauchi Central Senator also claimed that the 2024 budget passed is N25tn while the one being implemented by the Presidency is N28.7tn.
Governor Abba Kabir-Yusuf of Kano State has advised President Bola Tinubu to open Nigeria’s land borders to allow food stuffs come in, as a way of addressing the current food crisis in the country. The Governor, who received in audience, the Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, in Kano, lamented the harsh economic conditions being experienced by Nigerians. He stressed that the reopening of the borders would check inflation and drastically reduce prices of food items. “We wish to appreciate the president’s intervention in the ongoing national food initiative. “He considers Kano as the host for the initiative ahead of its planned launch, believing that the programme will cushion the effects of food scarcity if implemented. “Another immediate intervention that can make food available and affordable to our population is for the Federal Government to consider the reopening of the borders and allow free importation of commodities.” Governor Abba lauded the Customs’ food distribution scheme and called for proactive measures to guard against diversion of the commodities. The governor pledged continued support to the Service to enable it to discharge its mandate effectively. This was even as Adeniyi called for effective synergy between the Service and the Kano community. He said that the Custom Service is committed to deeper collaboration and mutual understanding. He promised to implement policies aimed at refining business processes and fostering engagement with stakeholders.
“I thought Tinubu has done very well. Nigeria is so complex. Really, there isn’t much anybody can do.” That’s the verdict of the immediate past President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, when he received the Comptroller-General and members of the management team of the Nigeria Customs Service in his Daura country home, Katsina State. “I thank you very much for coming. I very much appreciate it,” Buhari said, stressing the point that governing Nigeria is a tough job for anyone. He asked Nigerians to endure the economic hardship and support the policies and programmes of the Tinubu’s administration.
A former Senator, representing Nasarawa West senatorial district, Abubakar Danso Sodangi, is dead. According to reports, the All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain died yesterday, March 10, at the age of 70. Sodangi served as the Chairman of the Campaign Council for the re-election of Governor Abdullahi Sule in 2023. Abubakar Danso Sodangi (born January 31, 1954) was elected Senator in the Nasarawa West Constituency of Nasarawa State. He took office in May 1999 and was re-elected in 2003 and 2007. He attended primary School in between Keffi 1977 and 1979, the University of Sokoto between 1979 and1983, obtaining LLB (Hons). He attended the Nigerian Law School in Lagos, where he became a Barrister at Law in May 1984. He is a member of several professional bodies, including the Commonwealth Bar Association, the African Bar Association, the International Bar Association and the Defense Institute. The circumstances surrounding his death were sketchy as as at the time of this report. Source: Daily Post.
The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Jam’atu Nasrul-Islam of Nigeria, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar Sa’ad III, has announced the sighting of the Ramadan moon crescent, signalling the beginning of the 30-day Muslims’ Fasting tomorrow, March 11. Early today, March 10, Saudi Arabia had also announced the sighting of the moon, though countries like Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and others have not sighted the moon and therefore, begin their Fasting on Tuesday, March 12. In Islam, Fasting begin from dawn to sunset and is obligatory for all adult Muslims who are not acutely or chronically ill; who are not travelling, not elderly, not breastfeeding, not diabetic, not pregnant and not menstruating. The predawn meal is referred to as suhur and the nightly feast that breaks the fast is called iftar. Although rulings have been issued declaring that Muslims who live in regions with a midnight sun or polar night should follow the timetable of Mecca, it is common practice to follow the timetable of the closest country in which night can be distinguished from day. The spiritual rewards of Fasting are believed to be multiplied during Ramadan.
Accordingly, during the hours of Fasting, Muslims refrain not only from food and drink, but also from tobacco products, sexual relations and sinful behavior, including lying, insulting, backbiting, etc. Muslims devote themselves to prayer and study of the Quran, offering sacrifices, praising Allah continuously and performing other good deeds. We, at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper and hardcopy magazine, wish our invaluable readers healthy, productive and rewarding Ramadan.
Chairman Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Mohammed Bello Shehu has lamented that the high cost of governance in Nigeria is draining the nation’s resources, asking the Federal Government to check it before it is too late. According to him, the high cost of governance is also hindering economic development. The RMAFC chairman, in a statement in Abuja today, March 10, identified the havoc caused by the high cost of governance through expensive presidential system, a bloated bureaucracy with overlapping ministries, and widespread corruption. Shehu said that the excessive spending on administration far outpaced investments in crucial areas like infrastructure and industrial expansion. According to him, the imbalance hurts the real sectors of the economy, ultimately impacting the lives of everyday Nigerians. Shehu highlighted several other contributors to the high cost of governance to include inefficient public service delivery due to poor infrastructure; high security costs arising from insurgencies, kidnappings and other security threats; excessive payouts in salaries, severance packages and allowances; Extravagant spending by government officials; crippling burden of domestic and foreign debt and weak institutions that struggle to enforce regulations.
The RMAFC boss however, commended President Tinubu’s administration for embracing the Oronsanye Report as a blueprint for streamlining government agencies. He said that the full implementation of the report could significantly reduce administrative costs, freeing up funds for vital infrastructure projects that benefit Nigerians directly.
Shehu also applauded the government’s current economic and monetary reforms and praised the focus on maintaining stable prices and exchange rates. He said that these policies would help to curb inflation’s damaging effects. Shehu said that price stability would allow Nigerians to plan their finances more effectively and protect the purchasing power of the Naira. He said that a stable exchange rate would foster investor confidence and minimises uncertainties in the foreign exchange market. “This, in turn, attracts foreign investment, improves financial inclusion, and creates a more predictable environment for businesses.” The RMAFC boss also commended the ongoing reforms in the Bureau De Change (BDC) market.
“These reforms aim to establish transparent operations in line with international best practices. “This will increase trust among businesses, regulators, and the public. A well-organized BDC market with clear procedures plays a crucial role in maintaining a credible foreign exchange system.” He called on the Federal Government and states to use the increased allocations from the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) wisely. “These additional funds should be used to provide adequate support to the Nigerian people, particularly those struggling with the effects of subsidy removal.”
Senators loyal to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, have risen to fault the allegation of budget padding leveled against the Senate President by some Senators from the North. The Senators are Steve Sunday Karimi from Kogi State; Titus Tartenger Zam from Benue State and Kaka Sheu from Borno State. In a joint statement today, March 10, the Senate President’s loyalists said that the allegation of budget padding against Senate President Akpabio by some senators was unfounded, baseless and a figment of imagination. They warned against what they described as “the antics of blackmailers” that are bent on creating an atmosphere of crisis in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly. The three Senators, who claimed to be speaking on behalf of the Northern Senators’ Forum, said that no room should be allowed for division and acrimony between senators from the North and South by those who may not want to accord priority to national unity and harmony. They said that the Northern Senators’ Forum cannot be used to blackmail the budget process, which was done in good faith. Recall that last week, some northern senators had accused the Senate President of inserting projects worth N4 trillion in the 2024 budget. They alleged that the projects, which had no locations, were inserted into the budget, which they also claimed was lopsided against the North and some parts of the South. The northern senators also accused Akpabio of railroading the senators to hurriedly pass the budget, adding that it favoured Akpabio and his cronies. However, sheding light on what transpired at the meeting, Karimi, Zam and Sheu said that it was resolved that the report of the consultant engaged by the Northern Senators Forum be subjected to further scrutiny, as the entire appropriation process was a combination of work, from the executive, actively represented by the minister of budget and national planning and other ministers as well as the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation and the Senate Committees on Appropriation. Dismisssing the allegation of padding as a ruse, they said that while the executive brought a budget proposal of 27.5 trillion, the Senate passed a budget of 28.77 trillion. “The difference was N1.27 trillion, coming from all three arms of government. Where is the additional so-called padding of three trillion coming from? It was resolved that the Northern Senators’ consultant report be looked into by essential committees of the Senate and House of Representatives before jumping to a conclusion.” The Senate President’s loyalists advised the Northern Senators Caucus Leader, Abdul Ningi, to “rein in those who think a crisis-ridden Senate would better profit them.” They said that the North has provided leadership in Nigeria and enjoyed the support of other regions seamlessly, adding that the representatives of the North should not appear to act as instruments of destabilisation now that power has shifted to the South. In their view, the North can agitate for a fair share of the national cake, but within the ambits of decency, decorum and diginity. “Senator Ningi has not given a correct information. He is yet to even give the Senate President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives a copy of what he claims to have discovered in the 2024 Appropriation Act before levelling allegations of budget padding against the President, the Senate President and the Senate. “President Tinubu presented a budget estimates of over N27 trillion on 28th November to the National Assembly, which passed a budget of over N28 trlllion which became an Act of Parliament on 1st January 2024. “Where did Senator Ningi get his Appropriation Act of N25 trillion from? What about the extra requests that chairmen of appropriation committees of both chambers claimed came from the Executive after submission of the initial over N27 trillion proposals by Mr. President? “So, how did Senator Ningi’ s budget analyst get the N3 trillion budget padding allegations? “Must we attempt to give a dog a bad name to hang it? Are APC members of Northern Senators Forum that PDP Senator Ningi claims to lead oblivious of the anti-Tinubu/Akpabio undertones? The National Assembly should not be denigrated.”
No fewer than 74 Directors have bowed out of the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) and Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA). According to information reaching us at Greenbarge Reporters online newspaper and hardcopy magazine, those who retired have either clocked the mandatory retirement age of 60 or have been in service for 35 years. The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the 74 retirees bowed out of service in the third and fourth quarter of 2023. In an event organised in honour of the retirees, the minister of the FCT, Nyeson Wike said that the Administration would continue to tap from their experience and expertise to accelerate growth and development in the capital city. Represented by the acting Permanent Secretary, FCTA, Udom Atang, the minister expressed optimism that the wealth of experience of the retirees would be of great value to the administration. He said that the batch of the retirees were among the earliest staff of the FCTA and FCDA and therefore, played crucial roles in building Abuja from the scratch to its current state. He said that because of their institutional knowledge and experience, the FCTA would be reaching out to them for in-house training to coach and mentor the younger ones. According to him, nobody can do it better than those “who have been here before.” The minister restated the FCTA’s commitment to improve welfare of staff under the “Renewed Hope” agenda of the current administration. This was even as the acting Director, Reform Coordination and Service Improvement, Dr Jumai Ahmadu, commended the retirees for dedicating a significant portion of their lives to public service. “These directors have exhibited exemplary leadership, dedication, and professionalism throughout their tenure, serving as beacons of integrity and commitment to the welfare and progress of the FCTA. “Their unwavering dedication has contributed to the advancement of our administrative processes, the implementation of crucial policies, and the successful execution of numerous projects that have transformed the landscape of the FCT.” Ahmadu said. Some of the retirees who spoke to journalists on the sideline of the event, encouraged those still in service to build on their achievements for accelerated growth and development of the territory. One of them, Dr. Matthew Ashikeni, urged those in service to focus more on adding value to the system, rather than what they can gain from it. Ashikeni, who retired as Director, Special Duties at the FCT Health and Environment Secretariat, also tasked the government to invest more in primary health care to attain universal health coverage.
Saudi Arabia has announced the sighting of the crescent of the Ramadan Moon this evening, March 10. The Muslim annual Fasting, for 29 or 30 days therefore, begins tomorrow, March 11. However, report from Malaysia said that it was impossible to see the crescent of Ramadan today and therefore, Tuesday, March 12 has been declared the first day of the holy month. Also Brunei announced that Tuesday, March 12 is the first day of Ramadan, due to the inability to see the crescent moon from several locations in the Sultanate the same as Indonesia, where the Ministry of Religious Affairs in Indonesia announced that Tuesday is the first day of Ramadan, and tomorrow, Monday, is 30 Shaaban. The crescent moon has not been successfully observed at all observation points in Indonesia. The Mufti of Singapore, Dr. Nazirudin Mohammed Nasir announced that according to astronomical calculations, the crescent for the month of Ramadan is “unlikely to be seen above Singapore’s horizon” when the sun sets today evening.
I do not want to believe that in a country of close to 250 million people, I am the only one who think that there is a gathering of ominous dark clouds over our dear country, beginning from the North. I cannot afford that foolish and lazy thought even if I wanted to dream so, because it is that type of thinking that brought us to this sorry pass. Yes. Not long ago, we had a leader who believed he knew more than everybody and was better than everybody. And surprisingly, many northerners believed he was the only upright person in this populous country, better than even their fathers. The shout all over the nation about hunger is something that can confuse any government or leader, because it is a fact that hungry people will become angry, and an angry nation is a step away from anarchy. But one may be forgiven to conclude that the citizens, especially in the North, are being remotely pushed to behave that way. A respectable journalist from Bauchi sent me a report he wanted us to publish. The report was that “labourers in Bauchi were digging up anthills to collect stashed grains there.” I asked him for pictures and he sent me about four pictures of a well-dressed, healthy-looking man wearing a fez cap and jackboots, shovelling an anthill. According to the report, despite the ongoing construction of roads and houses in Bauchi and surrounding states, this labourer had to go steal food from ants! When you critically look at Nigeria, or the North, and its situation, what is happening is not excusable. Take instances where warehouses or trailer loads of food were attacked and stripped of everything: Is it hunger where you see a purportedly hungry man hurrying away with two or three bags of rice on his shoulders and returning for more? Or able-bodied youths, both male and female, fighting their way through the madness to grab as much of the loot as they can, taking them somewhere for safekeeping and returning for more? If the looting of foodstuff from government warehouses and trailers in the name of hunger continues unabated, unchecked, we should brace up for the next phase. The next phase would be breaking into houses of “big people” to loot foodstuffs. And because the looting is not motivated by hunger, we will see some looters carrying televisions, furniture, cookers, refrigerators, gas cylinders, etc. Do not forget that during one of such “hunger” protests and looting, even a signboard was uprooted and stolen. Some people just love to steal – hungry or not – and opportunities are now being offered to them. Alhaji Aminu Dantata told a story of how his father’s wealth, then transported on the backs of donkeys, got missing when the donkeys ran off while his aides accompanying the wealth were asleep. A public announcement was made, and six weeks later they were found without a single coin lost. And the lack then was greater than what it is now. And when you look at the looters, hardly do you see signs of responsibility in them; they most likely will take the loot to the markets to sell. They are the types you see springing up from nowhere selling fuel by the roadsides whenever there is a scarcity. The problem with instigating such people either to cause discomfort to the government or even to derail it is that they are Frankenstein Monsters that would end up as no good to anyone. But these monsters may not attack the houses of the “big men” first because of many factors, among which are the elitist and urban nature of their environments, and thus enhanced security. But most importantly, because the middle class, which has largely thinned out, is a buffer between them and the monsters. For decades now, some people have been denying Nigeria a middle class. It is as if they are saying from zero to 100, nothing in-between. Is that possible? Even at the speed of light, one has to go through those steps. In between the have-nots and the bourgeoisie, there are those hanging there either through hauling themselves by their bootstraps or because of some connections. They are not quite down there and yet not up there. If you can afford a house, rent a flat for your family, pay your children’s school fees, and take care of your basic needs and those of your dependents, then you are not at the bottom of the rung, though you are not with them at the top. You are, therefore, somewhere in the middle. In that category, you could be lower-middle-class, middle-middle-class or upper-middle-class. They have to pass you before they can reach the “big man.” The rampagers will easily and quickly get the middle-class man because the distance between them is very small. Therefore, people like us will be the first casualties. While we are just a little above them by the grace of God, they see us as their enemies, not knowing our daily struggles for survival. To them, we are part of the enemy because we do not live in a “face-me-I-face-you” type of compound; we own cars, but they do not know we are auto mechanics’ best friends, and our children perhaps go to private schools where we practically bleed from every vein to pay their extortionate fees. But after us, surely, they will come for the “big men”. And they will get a lot of them because not all can escape abroad with their families. And even if they flee with their immediate families, they must leave behind more family members than those taken. We must not continue to let the ominous dark clouds gather. Something urgent has to be done. I have lost hope in the Nigeria Labour Congress to come to the rescue. I do not know what has happened, but since their top man was beaten blue and black sometime back in Owerri, their thinking has been somehow. I do not know if he had seen the right doctor, but imagine them asking for a basic salary of ₦794,000 a month! The issue is the money for that is simply not there, but even if it is, paying such an amount to less than two per cent of the population is untenable because inflation would spiral out of control, afflicting the entire population. In Nigeria, unlike other countries, when there is a ten per cent salary increase, the prices of goods and services rise by at least twenty per cent, rubbishing the increase. Moreover, in a country where the private sector that employs the bulk of the people is gasping for breath, where do they get the extra cash to pay such an amount as salary? The private sector will simply go under, and the people roaming the streets without jobs to even “manage” their lives will exponentially increase. Have we ever thought of the security implications even as we are currently being overwhelmed by security challenges? Anyone genuinely interested in the welfare of workers, and indeed Nigerians, should do well to proffer solutions that would boost our economy and strengthen our currency and not suggestions that would bastardise our economy and drive the naira’s value further down. And that is what salary increase portends now. Methinks Labour would join the federal and state governments in making our youths self-dependent and employable by teaching them trade skills. As a trade union with many affiliates, when last did Labour speak about the moribund textile industries, for instance? Resuscitating them would provide hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. And cotton production would be revamped where another huge number of nationals would be gainfully employed. The government must reduce the cost of governance and the unimaginable take-home pay of political leaders and redirect the excess towards production. We must become a productive nation that eats, drives and wears what it produces. This is the only way to think if we want the dark clouds to clear. But, is it a problem of the North only? No, if left unchecked, the looming dark clouds will cover the entire nation.
Hassan Gimba is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Neptune Prime.
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Accordingly, during the hours of Fasting, Muslims refrain not only from food and drink, but also from tobacco products, sexual relations and sinful behavior, including lying, insulting, backbiting, etc.
Tinubu, Beware Of The Gathering Dark Clouds, By Hassan Gimba
I do not want to believe that in a country of close to 250 million people, I am the only one who think that there is a gathering of ominous dark clouds over our dear country, beginning from the North. I cannot afford that foolish and lazy thought even if I wanted to dream so, because it is that type of thinking that brought us to this sorry pass. Yes. Not long ago, we had a leader who believed he knew more than everybody and was better than everybody. And surprisingly, many northerners believed he was the only upright person in this populous country, better than even their fathers.
The shout all over the nation about hunger is something that can confuse any government or leader, because it is a fact that hungry people will become angry, and an angry nation is a step away from anarchy.
But one may be forgiven to conclude that the citizens, especially in the North, are being remotely pushed to behave that way. A respectable journalist from Bauchi sent me a report he wanted us to publish. The report was that “labourers in Bauchi were digging up anthills to collect stashed grains there.”
I asked him for pictures and he sent me about four pictures of a well-dressed, healthy-looking man wearing a fez cap and jackboots, shovelling an anthill. According to the report, despite the ongoing construction of roads and houses in Bauchi and surrounding states, this labourer had to go steal food from ants!
When you critically look at Nigeria, or the North, and its situation, what is happening is not excusable. Take instances where warehouses or trailer loads of food were attacked and stripped of everything: Is it hunger where you see a purportedly hungry man hurrying away with two or three bags of rice on his shoulders and returning for more? Or able-bodied youths, both male and female, fighting their way through the madness to grab as much of the loot as they can, taking them somewhere for safekeeping and returning for more?
If the looting of foodstuff from government warehouses and trailers in the name of hunger continues unabated, unchecked, we should brace up for the next phase. The next phase would be breaking into houses of “big people” to loot foodstuffs. And because the looting is not motivated by hunger, we will see some looters carrying televisions, furniture, cookers, refrigerators, gas cylinders, etc. Do not forget that during one of such “hunger” protests and looting, even a signboard was uprooted and stolen. Some people just love to steal – hungry or not – and opportunities are now being offered to them.
Alhaji Aminu Dantata told a story of how his father’s wealth, then transported on the backs of donkeys, got missing when the donkeys ran off while his aides accompanying the wealth were asleep. A public announcement was made, and six weeks later they were found without a single coin lost. And the lack then was greater than what it is now.
And when you look at the looters, hardly do you see signs of responsibility in them; they most likely will take the loot to the markets to sell. They are the types you see springing up from nowhere selling fuel by the roadsides whenever there is a scarcity.
The problem with instigating such people either to cause discomfort to the government or even to derail it is that they are Frankenstein Monsters that would end up as no good to anyone.
But these monsters may not attack the houses of the “big men” first because of many factors, among which are the elitist and urban nature of their environments, and thus enhanced security. But most importantly, because the middle class, which has largely thinned out, is a buffer between them and the monsters.
For decades now, some people have been denying Nigeria a middle class. It is as if they are saying from zero to 100, nothing in-between. Is that possible? Even at the speed of light, one has to go through those steps. In between the have-nots and the bourgeoisie, there are those hanging there either through hauling themselves by their bootstraps or because of some connections. They are not quite down there and yet not up there.
If you can afford a house, rent a flat for your family, pay your children’s school fees, and take care of your basic needs and those of your dependents, then you are not at the bottom of the rung, though you are not with them at the top. You are, therefore, somewhere in the middle. In that category, you could be lower-middle-class, middle-middle-class or upper-middle-class. They have to pass you before they can reach the “big man.” The rampagers will easily and quickly get the middle-class man because the distance between them is very small.
Therefore, people like us will be the first casualties. While we are just a little above them by the grace of God, they see us as their enemies, not knowing our daily struggles for survival. To them, we are part of the enemy because we do not live in a “face-me-I-face-you” type of compound; we own cars, but they do not know we are auto mechanics’ best friends, and our children perhaps go to private schools where we practically bleed from every vein to pay their extortionate fees.
But after us, surely, they will come for the “big men”. And they will get a lot of them because not all can escape abroad with their families. And even if they flee with their immediate families, they must leave behind more family members than those taken.
We must not continue to let the ominous dark clouds gather. Something urgent has to be done.
I have lost hope in the Nigeria Labour Congress to come to the rescue. I do not know what has happened, but since their top man was beaten blue and black sometime back in Owerri, their thinking has been somehow. I do not know if he had seen the right doctor, but imagine them asking for a basic salary of ₦794,000 a month!
The issue is the money for that is simply not there, but even if it is, paying such an amount to less than two per cent of the population is untenable because inflation would spiral out of control, afflicting the entire population. In Nigeria, unlike other countries, when there is a ten per cent salary increase, the prices of goods and services rise by at least twenty per cent, rubbishing the increase.
Moreover, in a country where the private sector that employs the bulk of the people is gasping for breath, where do they get the extra cash to pay such an amount as salary? The private sector will simply go under, and the people roaming the streets without jobs to even “manage” their lives will exponentially increase. Have we ever thought of the security implications even as we are currently being overwhelmed by security challenges?
Anyone genuinely interested in the welfare of workers, and indeed Nigerians, should do well to proffer solutions that would boost our economy and strengthen our currency and not suggestions that would bastardise our economy and drive the naira’s value further down. And that is what salary increase portends now.
Methinks Labour would join the federal and state governments in making our youths self-dependent and employable by teaching them trade skills. As a trade union with many affiliates, when last did Labour speak about the moribund textile industries, for instance? Resuscitating them would provide hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs. And cotton production would be revamped where another huge number of nationals would be gainfully employed.
The government must reduce the cost of governance and the unimaginable take-home pay of political leaders and redirect the excess towards production. We must become a productive nation that eats, drives and wears what it produces. This is the only way to think if we want the dark clouds to clear.
But, is it a problem of the North only? No, if left unchecked, the looming dark clouds will cover the entire nation.
Hassan Gimba is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Neptune Prime.