The Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Muhammad Nami has made it clear that the mandate of the Service is to collect taxes that are due to the federation and the Federal Government and not to grant tax waivers to any taxpayer in the country.
Nami, in a swift reaction to the news making the rounds that some companies, among them, Dangote Sinotruck Limited, Lafarge, Honeywell and others have been granted tax waiver on pioneer status between 2019 and 2021 in the sum of N16 trillion by the FIRS and the other Federal Government agencies, said: “FIRS does not have the power or responsibility of facilitating or even implementing tax waivers to investors in Nigeria. There are relevant agencies of government that are charged with such responsibility.”
He said that the Service is not unmindful of the objectives of granting tax waivers to investors, which he said include “helping to grow local companies, stimulate economic growth, and earn investors’ confidence.”
He expressed confidence that the companies which are now enjoying tax breaks will eventually exit and begin to pay taxes to the Federal Government as is currently being done by the companies that have equally enjoyed such tax breaks in the past and are now paying taxes in hundreds of billions of naira.
“Such companies will continue to pay taxes to the government so long as they remain in business.”
The FIRS Executive Chairman also said that the companies enjoying the Pioneer Status will be exempted from paying only the Direct Taxes from their profits but will continue to act as agents of collecting and remitting Indirect Taxes (eg VAT, WHT) in the ordinary course of their operations.
He emphasized that he is focused on the task of achieving the mandate of the Service which is to assess, collect, and account for taxes due to the federation and the Federal Government.
He described such task as challenging, “more so at this time of global economic disruption occasioned by the Russia-Ukraine war and the Pandemic.
“However, the Management is steadfast in achieving the target set for it by the Federal Government. For instance, last year the Service surpassed its target by collecting an unprecedented amount of N6.4 trillion in taxes. So far this year, the Service is poised to perform even better than its record for last year.”
He called on the stakeholders to join hands with him to grow the nation’s economy.
President Muhammadu Buhari is scheduled to launch Nigeria’s Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) for Sustainable Development on Friday, September 23 on the margins of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77) taking place in New York, the United States of America.
A statement today, September 19 by the special adviser to President Buhari on media and publicity, Femi Adesina said that the proposed concept was developed within the broader Addis Ababa Action Agenda, saying that the Integrated National Financing Framework (INFF) is a planning and delivery tool to finance sustainable development at the national level.
The statement said that the INFF will help policymakers to lay out a strategy to increase investments for sustainable development, manage financial and non-financial risks and ultimately achieve sustainable development priorities.
According to the statement, while a country’s national development plan spells out what needs to be financed, the INFF will show how it will be financed and implemented.
“For Nigeria, the INFF is also expected to help in the recovery from the effects of COVID-19 pandemic as well as help address lack of an integrated approach to financing SDGs, which has been a key challenge to meeting the financing requirement, estimated at $100 billon over the next 10 years.
“The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development presents an ambitious, complex and interconnected vision that countries around the world have committed to working towards. Realizing this vision will require mobilization of a diverse range of public and private resources.
“The INFF is a tool to help countries strengthen planning processes and overcome existing impediments to financing sustainable development at the national level. It helps governments and their partners to build more integrated approaches to financing, that strengthen the alignment between public and private investments and longer-term sustainable development objectives and build greater coherency across the governance of public and private financing policies.
“Nigeria committed to be a champion of INFF and officially kicked off the design process as an INFF pioneer country in 2020. To steer the implementation process, Nigeria set up the INFF Steering Committee chaired by the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning (MFBNP), represented by the Minister of State, Budget and National Planning, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, the Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum, the Director General of the Budget Office of the Federation, the Director General of the Debt Management Office, and the Statistician-General of the National Bureau of Statistics.
“Others are the Senior Special Assistant to the President on SDGs, the UN Resident Coordinator, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme, the Head of Development Cooperation of the European Union mission, the Resident Representative of the International Monetary Fund, the Country Director for the World Bank, and the Co-Chair of the Private Sector Advisory Group.
“Expected at the launch are some Heads of Governments, the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations, Amina J. Mohammed and representatives from countries and international Organisations.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has made it clear that it doesn’t owe any Nigerian apology over the Voter’s Registration which deadline expired a couple of weeks ago.
Reacting to a judicial action embarked on by some 24 Nigerians purportedly on behalf of seven million others over INEC alleged failure to capture them in the registration before the deadline, the Commission said that it gave adequate publicity and time for such people to register.
In a statement today, September 19, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee in the Commission, Festus Okoye insisted no Nigerians were deliberately denied the opportunity to complete their online pre-registration.
The statement read:
The attention of the Commission has been drawn to media reports that some seven million Nigerians who applied for online pre-registration as voters during the last nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) were denied the opportunity to complete their registration and consequently the collection of their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs). This claim is misleading.
To set the record straight, Nigerians may recall that on 28th June 2021, the Commission introduced the online pre-registration of voters. By doing so, citizens were given the opportunity to commence the registration online and then book for an appointment at their convenience to complete the physical Biometric Capture at designated centres. It was a novel idea leveraging on technology to ease the registration process. This was in addition to the walk-in option at physical centres, where Nigerians can commence and complete thier registration simultaneously without going through the online pre-registration procedure.
In the interest of transparency, the Commission provided weekly statistical updates on the exercise.
For the online pre-registration, a total 10,487,972 commenced the process. However, by the deadline of the exercise, 3,444,378 Nigerians completed their pre-registration physically at the designated centres in line with the Commission’s policy. Some 7,043,594 applicants did not complete the registration. Again, the Commission made the information public. This is what some people are now using to say that they were denied the opportunity when in reality they failed to either complete the online enrolment or appear physically at the designated centres to complete the process.
A breakdown of the 7,043,594 incomplete online pre-registrations is as follows:
1. 4,161,775 citizens attempted but either did not complete online pre-registration or abandoned it and went for the physical registration instead.
2. 2,881,819 registrants completed the online pre-registration but did not show up to complete the physical Biometric Capture at designated centres before the deadline.
Therefore, it is clear that no Nigerians were deliberately denied the opportunity to complete their online pre-registration.
We appeal citizens to always adhere to timelines as against the endless agitation for eleventh hour extension of set deadlines.
Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, sympathises with the King of England, King Charles III in Buckingham Palace during the funeral ceremony of Queen Elizabeth yesterday, September 18 in London.
Osinbajo represented Nigeria at the funeral that was attended by leaders from across the world.
Geng Quangrong, the Chinese man who stabbed his girlfriend, Ummu Kulthum, to death at Kabuga Quarters, Dorayi Babba, in Kano State last Friday, has confessed that he killed her because she refused to marry him after he had spent so much on her.
Deng confessed to the crime after he was arrested by the police in Kano.
According to the police spokesman, Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, the suspect, aged 47, committed the crime after scaling the fence of the deceased residence to gain access where he stabbed her multiple times until she gave up the ghost.
Geng alleged that Ummu had promised to marry him, but later reneged on that promise after he had spent so much on her.
The suspect said that he was angered by her deception and he decided to attack and kill the deceased at her residence.
The police spokesman said that the mother of the deceased raised an alarm while Deng was committing the act and the police was immediately alerted.
The Commissioner of Police in Kano State, Abubakar Lawan, then directed the DPO, Dorayi Babba, to take charge of the situation.
Deng has since been transferred to the state headquarters at Bompai for further investigation and prosecution.
Meanwhile, late Ummu has been buried Saturday morning in Kano as her family members and friends mourn her sudden departure.
Twenty–four Nigerians have filed a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for failing to give them and other seven million Nigerians adequate time and opportunity to complete their voter registration after they had carried out their registration online.
The plaintiffs, who are suing for themselves and on behalf of seven million other Nigerians want INEC to be compelled to “complete the registration process, so that they can obtain their permanent voter cards (PVCs), and exercise their right to vote.”
INEC recently disclosed that out of 10,487,972 Nigerians who carried out their pre-registration online, only 3,444,378 completed the process at a physical centre. This represents just 32.8 percent of completed online registration.
But in the suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1662/2022 filed last Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the Plaintiffs are seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to re-activate its continuous voters registration exercise to allow the Plaintiffs to complete their registration and collect their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).”
The suit filed on behalf of the plaintiffs by lawyers to Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Kolawole Oluwadare and Ms Adelanke Aremo, read in part: “Closing the gates on eligible Nigerians cannot preserve trust in the electoral process. According to reports, the inability of Nigerians to complete their voters registration exercise or even transfer their permanent voters’ card, affected wide spectrums of persons, hence this class action by the identified plaintiffs on behalf of other affected Nigerians.”
The plaintiffs are also seeking “an order of mandamus to direct and compel INEC to provide adequate facilities and deploy personnel to the registration units of the Plaintiffs to enable them complete their registration and collect their PVCs.”
Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello the National Youth Coordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.
In a letter, dated August 8, 2022, which Tinubu personally signed and addressed to the Governor, he acknowledged the impressive political achievements and the exemplary leadership which Bello had demonstrated as governor of his state and as a party member.
The Presidential candidate expressed confidence that the governor would do his best in the new responsibility given him to ensure the party run an effective and message-driven campaign that would lead to its victory in the 2023 presidential election.
The letter titled: “Appointment as National Youth Coordinator for Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council,” read, “By way of this letter, we are pleased to formally convey your appointment as National Youth Coordinator of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.
“This appointment is fitting and appropriate, given your impressive political achievements and the exemplary leadership you have demonstrated as governor of your state and as a party member. We are grateful that you have joined our campaign team. We know you will do your utmost in this new responsibility, so we conduct an effective, message-driven campaign leading us to victory in the 2023 presidential election.
“Together, not only can we ensure victory for our party in the February 2023 election, but we shall also move Nigeria along the path of national greatness by building on the achievements of our party and the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in providing progressive good governance to Nigerians. We wish you God’s speed and guidance.
“Congratulations. Please, accept the assurances of our highest respect and regards always.”
In his acceptance letter, Governor Bello pledged to deploy all in his capacity, working alongside the presidential candidate, to ensure victory for the APC.
“Your Excellency is one great Nigerian I know, who not only exemplifies but abundantly demonstrates, through transformational leadership and good governance, my own aspirations for a Nigeria that is secure, united, and prosperous.”
Governor Yahaya Bello was an aspirant in the party’s presidential primary, in which Tinubu emerged winner.
I made special effort to attentively watch the Labour Party candidate, Mr Peter Obi’s interview live on CNN to the end. I have also objectively watched the recorded video at least 4 times since last night and it has only left a bitter taste in my mouth.
First, surprisingly I am less miffed at Mr Peter Obi than I am at the anchor, Zain Asher who is; as she said Nigerian, Igbo and from the South East; even though I know she only throws in those identities whenever she thinks it serves the purpose of her career at CNN or her preferred narrative.
That interview clearly showed that Zain is not very current on issues concerning the country she calls her own. Apart from ignorantly or deliberately over exaggerating or misrepresentating the true state of things in Nigeria, she obviously knew her interviewee well and was conscious to feed him red meat to further the narrative she wanted to sell about Nigeria and he; as expected lapped it all up, mindless of the fact that it is the same country he seeks to lead.
Agreed that a politician will say anything to help his or her ambition but to essentially throw your nation under the bus on an international media; especially with lies, half truths and exaggerations is as unpatriotic as it is unintelligent.
Whatever I might think about Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, he would have had enough maturity, experience and emotional intelligence to know how to answer those questions without throwing the nation under the bus. Not to talk of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is the master of emotional intelligence himself.
It is okay to rail against the incumbent government, its policies and programs and then state your own policies and programs, what you would do differently and HOW; to draw a constrast. I mean that is what America politicians do; especially when speaking to an international audience.
That someone always comes across behaving like a foreigner or a non Nigerian who has not been part of whatever has been of Nigeria; good and bad; trying to present himself as the only saint and a messiah coming from outside of Nigeria and the Nigerian system to salvage Nigeria is as laughable and insulting as it should be a cause for concern to all patriotic and well meaning Nigerians.
Even as I lowered the bar on my expectations from the interviewee; having listened to him on sundry issues; including on climate change, ASUU strike, insecurity, infrastructure, power, economy etc, I must confess that he managed to take ‘no-show’ a notch higher in that interview.
First, his penchant for taking the ‘third person’ approach to questions. For a direct question of ‘what would you do’?, he would answer “You do …”, when it should be ‘I will do …’. Then he does not say what he would do and how. Fortunately or deliberately, he has been picking interviewers who deliberately won’t or can’t take him to task. So he gets away with that.
Then, listen to his submissions or responses on some of the specific issues that arose in that CNN interview.
“You have to deal decisively with the issue of security …”. HOW?
“You have to start pulling people out of poverty as quickly as possible …”. HOW?
“You have to reduce aggressively cost of governance and then deal with the issue of corruption …”. HOW?
“What is your plan to transform Nigeria from a consumption economy to a production economy”? In view of the fact that Nigeria has being a net importer of petroleum products inspite of being Africa’s largest producer of crude oil.
He answers: “.. there’s no reason why our refineries cannot work .., … there’s no reason why we should not encourage private sector to build refineries and operate them and they are not rocket science. It can be done as quickly as possible. You can use today to decide to remove the fuel subsidy, use the resources to support critical areas of production, from critical infrastructure, to education, supporting investments in refinery which will be like I said done within a shortest possible time”. Tell me something I don’t know please.
What Exactly Have We Been Doing In The Last 7 years?
The Dangote Refinery is a private refinery being built in Nigeria right before our eyes and we know how it has progressed and the speed; even with maximum commitment and concerted attention being given to it by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Dangote Group and the Nigerian government. That is actually the “shortest possible time”; if you are not living in a make believe world like Mr Peter, that is.
Mr Peter Obi has access to Aliko Dangote as a fellow millionaire and Nigeria elite (never mind the pretence) that most of us do not have. How difficult is it for him to approach Dangote for a free lecture?
Furthermore, in the last seven and half years, Nigeria has more private Modular Refineries in building than at any other time in Nigeria’s history; all with the Buhari government’s full support. The licenses for most of those refineries were issued and the fees collected by past administrations but none was built. Indeed the 10,000bpd Duport Modular Refinery in Edo state is being facilitated by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), a Federal Government Agency.
Then ‘”you can decide today to remove fuel subsidy ..”. Like seriously? How? Without the appropriate measures in place like completing the ongoing holistic repair of our state owned refineries and the Dangote Refinery as well as the Modular Refineries being built? Not to mention the Petroleum Industry Act which has been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari to give legal, structural and administrative framework and teeth to all that needs to be in place before sustainably and realistically removing fuel subsidy; bearing the average Nigerian in mind.
If serious governance and re-building Nigeria out of the rot it has being in for decades were are as simplistic and kindergarten as Mr Obi keeps presenting, then why do we need a messiah? Anyone would have done it.
Mr Peter Obi said, past Nigerian leaders have always been elected “based on ethnicity, religion, my turn, connection or one form of bias or the other, … or structure which always says structure of criminality …”. Interesting. It is left for objective Nigerians to say which of these that he mentioned that he has not exploited as a Governor and in his current quest to become President of Nigeria.
He further says; in his usual apocalyptic and messianic manner that Nigeria is next to “collapse” and postures himself as the only messiah without who Nigeria will be buried. He then dwells on insecurity in and the plight of the North while conveniently forgetting that his South East; including his home state Anambra is even more unsafe and under developed today than many places in the North.
Sincerely, all these would have been fantastic if we were looking for a philosopher, an impressionist or a chronicler-in-chief of our woes and not a President and Commander-in-Chief.
These are some of the reasons that I remain convinced; even after this un-disappointing CNN outing that the combination of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima; without any primordial sentiments are better for Nigeria going forward.
The more I objectively listen to Mr Peter Obi and look at my check list, the more I realise that most of the things he merely talks about without any how-to-dos; security, production, economy, agriculture, power, re-equipping the security agencies, security architecture, education, health, infrastructure, oil and gas etc are already being tackled verifiably by the Buhari administration.
So no better persons out of what we have on offer to take those forward than two people who not only know and acknowledge those realities and verified efforts but who equally have the “commitment, integrity, competence, commitment and track record” and I dare add patriotism and belief in Nigeria to build on them going by “what they have done in the past” viz Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima Mustapha.
In all, I am glad that the Labour Party candidate pointed out that Nigeria needs a leader that you can “… look at what he has done in the past …”, with “character, competence, capacity and commitment to do the right thing …”.
These indeed are the crux of the matter and I urge Nigerians to listen to him and do the needful; devoid of primordial sentiments and emotions. In the end; beyond the semantics and noise, it is our collective lives and future that are at stake in next year’s election.
Finally, back to our sister Zain Asher, I will not blame her or CNN too much for not knowing the exact situation of things with Nigeria today beyond what they see on social media and from fifth columnists. What has the Nigerian government done in recent times to tell our real story and trajectory to the world? How many features have we had on CNN in the last 7 years?
Will we send someone like Ajuri Ngelale or Festus Keyamo SAN (forget people like me) to go on CNN and factually counter the many lies, half truths and mischaracterisation of Nigeria bandied in that interview? Even if we have to pay for it? It is a matter of national truth, pride and honor; beyond partisan politics and election.
Patriotic Nigerians, the ball remains in our court. We have been served.
Nigerian government, in collaboration with the Africa Business Roundtable, is organizing the second edition of the Nigeria International Economic Partnership Forum (NIEPF), a global economic investment platform, in New York, the United States.
A statement today, September 18 by a Presidential spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu said that the investment forum is being held to further open up the country’s economy to international capital and attract foreign investment.
The Forum, he said, is scheduled for September 22, on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly taking place in the American city.
He said that the NIEPF is expected to draw the presence of world leaders in politics, economy, media as well as Civil Society Oganisations and international media to focus on the vast economic potentials of Nigeria and Africa’s leading economy.
According to Garba Shehu, President Muhammadu Buhari will deliver the keynote address at the event and will also host a High-Level Presidential Session with fellow Presidents and Heads of delegations on Issues That Need Joint Action for African Countries on the Development Drive, such as the Post COVID-19 recovery and financing priorities; Africa’s Investment Climate and Market as well as De-risking the Continent.
“The NIEPF will bring together top Nigerian government functionaries as well as renowned and highly respected global public and private sector players rubbing minds on Nigeria’s Economic Outlook, focusing on Nigeria in The Global Economy; and International Partnership for Nigeria on The Development Drive.
“In view of the wide spectrum of personalities attending the forum, there will be cluster thematic sessions on: (i) Growing Nigeria’s Agriculture for Food Security & Access to Export Market with special focus on Impact of the Russia-Ukraine War which presents opportunities for G7/G20-Nigeria Partnerships in Agriculture; (ii) Scaling Up International Resources for Financing Education in Africa with emphasis on Making facilities to Link Government, Deal Sponsors and International Pools of Capital in Education; and (iii) Nigeria’s Oil and Gas Sector: Reforms, Results and the Road focusing on Scaling Up Investment into the Gas Market—Plants, Parks, Cylinders, Reinjection.
Other issues slated for discussion include: Scaling Up International Resources for Healthcare in Africa bordering on: Upgrading and expanding Nigeria’s Healthcare Infrastructure towards making Nigeria the “healthcare hub” for Africa; Climate Change and Paths to Clean Environment with emphasis on Paths to Clean Economy, Clean Energy and Clean Development; and Financing Nigeria’s Infrastructure with emphasis on Developing infrastructures such as Farm to market corridor, Farm to ports corridor, Export transport corridor, Railway network, Road network upgrade and expansion, Airport upgrade, including dedicated airports for exports, Power generation, transmission and distribution.”
Garva Shehu said that speakers and panelists at the event will include Aliko Dangote, President of Dangote Group; Bill Gates, Co-Founder of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation; Satya Nadella, Chairman Business Council of the United States and Chief Executive Officer Microsoft Corp, Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States, Florie Liser, President of the Corporate Council on Africa, and Members of the Business Council of International Understanding, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, John Kerry, US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate; and Abdul Samad Rabiu, Executive Chairman of BUA Group, who is also the President of the France-Nigeria Business Council.
Others are Mark Zuckerberg, Chief Executive Officer of Facebook, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank and Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations to mention but a few.
This weekend, Presidential villa will be without President Muhammadu Buhari as he travelled to the United State of America to attend the annual meeting of world leaders, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA77).
The Vice President too, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, would take off to London to represent Nigeria in the funeral ceremony of Queen Elizabeth II, who died recently.
A statement from a presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina said that Buhari would depart Abuja today, September 18, for New York, United for UNGA77, whose theme this year is: “A watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges.”
The statement said that the key topics of discussion would the war in Ukraine, the energy crisis, climate action, ending the COVID-19 pandemic, and a special Transforming Education Summit.
It said that President Buhari will take his turn to deliver the National Statement on the second day of the General Debates on Wednesday, September 21.
It said that the President will also participate in High Level meetings and side events including the Nigeria International Economic Partnership Forum (NIEPF), convened by Nigeria in partnership with the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU); Strengthening Coordination through National Humanitarian Development Peace (NHDP) Framework: A practical approach to sustainable durable solutions to ensure no one is left behind, organised by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development; and the EFCC-NEPAD Programme on combating Illicit Financial Flows.
“President Buhari will also hold strategic bilateral meetings with World Leaders, renowned investors and heads of multinational organisations while in New York.”
The statement said that the President is being accompanied by the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, some Governors, Ministers and top government officials.
The President is expected back in the country on September 26.
Also, a statement from Laolu Akande, the spokesman of the Vice President said that Professor Osinbajo would depart Abuja today, September 18 to join members of the Royal Family, world leaders – including members of the Commonwealth, Heads of State, Governors-General, Prime Ministers, and foreign royal families – at the ceremonies, including the funeral service scheduled to hold at Westminster Abbey on Monday.
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Presidential Candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has appointed the Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello the National Youth Coordinator of the Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.
Nigerian government, in collaboration with the Africa Business Roundtable, is organizing the second edition of the Nigeria International Economic Partnership Forum (NIEPF), a global economic investment platform, in New York, the United States.
That Peter Obi’s Interview On CNN, By Dr. Uche Diala
First, surprisingly I am less miffed at Mr Peter Obi than I am at the anchor, Zain Asher who is; as she said Nigerian, Igbo and from the South East; even though I know she only throws in those identities whenever she thinks it serves the purpose of her career at CNN or her preferred narrative.
That interview clearly showed that Zain is not very current on issues concerning the country she calls her own. Apart from ignorantly or deliberately over exaggerating or misrepresentating the true state of things in Nigeria, she obviously knew her interviewee well and was conscious to feed him red meat to further the narrative she wanted to sell about Nigeria and he; as expected lapped it all up, mindless of the fact that it is the same country he seeks to lead.
Agreed that a politician will say anything to help his or her ambition but to essentially throw your nation under the bus on an international media; especially with lies, half truths and exaggerations is as unpatriotic as it is unintelligent.
Whatever I might think about Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, he would have had enough maturity, experience and emotional intelligence to know how to answer those questions without throwing the nation under the bus. Not to talk of Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is the master of emotional intelligence himself.
It is okay to rail against the incumbent government, its policies and programs and then state your own policies and programs, what you would do differently and HOW; to draw a constrast. I mean that is what America politicians do; especially when speaking to an international audience.
That someone always comes across behaving like a foreigner or a non Nigerian who has not been part of whatever has been of Nigeria; good and bad; trying to present himself as the only saint and a messiah coming from outside of Nigeria and the Nigerian system to salvage Nigeria is as laughable and insulting as it should be a cause for concern to all patriotic and well meaning Nigerians.
Even as I lowered the bar on my expectations from the interviewee; having listened to him on sundry issues; including on climate change, ASUU strike, insecurity, infrastructure, power, economy etc, I must confess that he managed to take ‘no-show’ a notch higher in that interview.
First, his penchant for taking the ‘third person’ approach to questions. For a direct question of ‘what would you do’?, he would answer “You do …”, when it should be ‘I will do …’. Then he does not say what he would do and how. Fortunately or deliberately, he has been picking interviewers who deliberately won’t or can’t take him to task. So he gets away with that.
Then, listen to his submissions or responses on some of the specific issues that arose in that CNN interview.
“You have to deal decisively with the issue of security …”. HOW?
“You have to start pulling people out of poverty as quickly as possible …”. HOW?
“You have to reduce aggressively cost of governance and then deal with the issue of corruption …”. HOW?
“What is your plan to transform Nigeria from a consumption economy to a production economy”? In view of the fact that Nigeria has being a net importer of petroleum products inspite of being Africa’s largest producer of crude oil.
He answers: “.. there’s no reason why our refineries cannot work .., … there’s no reason why we should not encourage private sector to build refineries and operate them and they are not rocket science. It can be done as quickly as possible. You can use today to decide to remove the fuel subsidy, use the resources to support critical areas of production, from critical infrastructure, to education, supporting investments in refinery which will be like I said done within a shortest possible time”. Tell me something I don’t know please.
What Exactly Have We Been Doing In The Last 7 years?
The Dangote Refinery is a private refinery being built in Nigeria right before our eyes and we know how it has progressed and the speed; even with maximum commitment and concerted attention being given to it by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the Dangote Group and the Nigerian government. That is actually the “shortest possible time”; if you are not living in a make believe world like Mr Peter, that is.
Mr Peter Obi has access to Aliko Dangote as a fellow millionaire and Nigeria elite (never mind the pretence) that most of us do not have. How difficult is it for him to approach Dangote for a free lecture?
Furthermore, in the last seven and half years, Nigeria has more private Modular Refineries in building than at any other time in Nigeria’s history; all with the Buhari government’s full support. The licenses for most of those refineries were issued and the fees collected by past administrations but none was built. Indeed the 10,000bpd Duport Modular Refinery in Edo state is being facilitated by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), a Federal Government Agency.
Then ‘”you can decide today to remove fuel subsidy ..”. Like seriously? How? Without the appropriate measures in place like completing the ongoing holistic repair of our state owned refineries and the Dangote Refinery as well as the Modular Refineries being built? Not to mention the Petroleum Industry Act which has been signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari to give legal, structural and administrative framework and teeth to all that needs to be in place before sustainably and realistically removing fuel subsidy; bearing the average Nigerian in mind.
If serious governance and re-building Nigeria out of the rot it has being in for decades were are as simplistic and kindergarten as Mr Obi keeps presenting, then why do we need a messiah? Anyone would have done it.
Mr Peter Obi said, past Nigerian leaders have always been elected “based on ethnicity, religion, my turn, connection or one form of bias or the other, … or structure which always says structure of criminality …”. Interesting. It is left for objective Nigerians to say which of these that he mentioned that he has not exploited as a Governor and in his current quest to become President of Nigeria.
He further says; in his usual apocalyptic and messianic manner that Nigeria is next to “collapse” and postures himself as the only messiah without who Nigeria will be buried. He then dwells on insecurity in and the plight of the North while conveniently forgetting that his South East; including his home state Anambra is even more unsafe and under developed today than many places in the North.
Sincerely, all these would have been fantastic if we were looking for a philosopher, an impressionist or a chronicler-in-chief of our woes and not a President and Commander-in-Chief.
These are some of the reasons that I remain convinced; even after this un-disappointing CNN outing that the combination of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima; without any primordial sentiments are better for Nigeria going forward.
The more I objectively listen to Mr Peter Obi and look at my check list, the more I realise that most of the things he merely talks about without any how-to-dos; security, production, economy, agriculture, power, re-equipping the security agencies, security architecture, education, health, infrastructure, oil and gas etc are already being tackled verifiably by the Buhari administration.
So no better persons out of what we have on offer to take those forward than two people who not only know and acknowledge those realities and verified efforts but who equally have the “commitment, integrity, competence, commitment and track record” and I dare add patriotism and belief in Nigeria to build on them going by “what they have done in the past” viz Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima Mustapha.
In all, I am glad that the Labour Party candidate pointed out that Nigeria needs a leader that you can “… look at what he has done in the past …”, with “character, competence, capacity and commitment to do the right thing …”.
These indeed are the crux of the matter and I urge Nigerians to listen to him and do the needful; devoid of primordial sentiments and emotions. In the end; beyond the semantics and noise, it is our collective lives and future that are at stake in next year’s election.
Finally, back to our sister Zain Asher, I will not blame her or CNN too much for not knowing the exact situation of things with Nigeria today beyond what they see on social media and from fifth columnists. What has the Nigerian government done in recent times to tell our real story and trajectory to the world? How many features have we had on CNN in the last 7 years?
Will we send someone like Ajuri Ngelale or Festus Keyamo SAN (forget people like me) to go on CNN and factually counter the many lies, half truths and mischaracterisation of Nigeria bandied in that interview? Even if we have to pay for it? It is a matter of national truth, pride and honor; beyond partisan politics and election.
Patriotic Nigerians, the ball remains in our court. We have been served.
#GodBlessNigeria
@Uche Diala