Against the backdrop of the promise by President Bola Tinubu to constitute a cabinet of technocrats and professions, KUNLE ODEREMI writes on the screening by the Senate, of the first batch of ministerial nominees amid public suspense over the issue of portfolios vis-a-vis the background, of the nominees and the core challenges in the polity.
FOR most citizens in the country, life and living in the last two months have been miserable. Still smarting from the excruciating anguish and frustration caused by the naira redesign programme of the suspended Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Godwin Emefiele, the sudden removal of subsidy in petrol and floating of the national currency by the new administration of president Bola Tinubu caused a swirl in the cost of living such that galloping inflation has made a mince meat of the purchasing power of the people.
Five months ago, President Tinubu gave a profound statement on his vision as the seventh democratically elected president of the country. In his acceptance speech shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him winner of the February 25 presidential poll, the former governor of Lagos State promised to partner with Nigerians in his quest to place the country on a better pedestal in a manner that they could boast of being Nigerians. But he said the road to achieving that lofty goal would involve taking some hard decisions. His words: “We pledge to listen and to do the difficult things, the big deeds that put us on the path of irreversible progress. Hold us firmly to account, but please give us a chance first. Together, we shall build a brighter and more productive society for today, tomorrow and for years to come. Today, you have given me the greatest honor you can bestow on one man. In return, I will give you my utmost as your next president and commander-in-chief. Peace, unity and prosperity shall be the cornerstones of the society we intend to build. When you gaze upon what we shall accomplish in the coming years, you shall speak with pride at being a Nigerian.”
Similarly his speech on the day of his May 29 inauguration into office was instructive. Tinubu declared his intention to restore to Nigeria, the status its founder fathers left to posterity. He strongly believed there was renewed hope for the country, in spite of having “stumbled at times.” He expatiated that, “The Nigerian ideal which I speak of is more than just an improvement in economic and other statistics. These things are important; but they can never convey the fullness of our story.”
A number of Nigerians seem to share the vision of the president on pragmatic measures that can rev up engine of economic growth and national development. International organisations and professional groups buy in his economic agenda so far on the way forward for the country. But there is no consensus on the processes of implementation. And President Tinubu unequivocally admitted a slight slip on the part of his administration after it removed subsidy from petrol that has largely exacerbated economic the boundless hardship and crises facing the people. He was concerned that there was no expeditious action on relief package following the exercise.
His proposal of N8000 stipend for six months to 12 million households met with public outrage necessitating the president engaging with governors and other stakeholders to review the plan and agree on a more holistic package for the distraught populace. The focus of the package include: N75bn to fund enterprises at 9% per annum; N125bn to energize MSME; 200,000 metric tonnes of grains; 225,000 metric tonnes of fertilizer, seedlings and other inputs; N50bn each to cultivate 150,000 hectares of rice and maize. N50bn each to cultivate 100,000 hectares of wheat and cassava; N100bn to acquire 3000 units of 20-seater CNG-fuelled buses and a new national minimum wage to be worked out with the organised labour.
But there are indications that the policy direction and focus of the president underline his desire to restore the “ideal nation he believes the founding fathers left behind. Having promised to assemble a team of bureaucrats and professionals with their eyes on delivering the good, do the names of those screened so far conjure the adage: the morning shows the day? Some critics claim the choices he made seem to fall short of his pledge because of the trajectories of a few of the nominees. However, others are concerned about the need to tackle the critical issues on ground beyond the debate over the personalities of the nominees. For instance, speaking on the prevailing situation in the country, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) lamented that millions of Nigerians are facing imminent starvation and called on Tinubu to provide adequate succour. According to its Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the money being made available to governors might not go enough in addressing the current economic hardship across the country. “We believe that the administration has erred in embarking on major decisions before it even took its first faltering steps. Attempts to correct mistakes have not been very successful, and these have been made worse by the barrage of plans and policies being hinted at, which will make life even more intolerable for the Nigerian. Where efforts have been made to correct mistakes, they appeared too hastily decided and will, in the long term, do little to relieve the desperate challenges of daily living of Nigerians. On the whole, the first few weeks of President Tinubu will be recorded by history as the act of a leadership that made bad situations considerably worse, and fails to explain why. The Forum prefers to believe this is not the intention of the administration, but it shares the agony of the citizen whose life has taken a major turn for the worse in the last few weeks,” be stated.
States as agents of change
The president said the states are being empowered financially to address the challenges besetting the people. The increased funding is expected to assist the them to provide relief packages for the citizens since they are closer to the people. However states are incapacitated in many areas to function maximally, due to the existing defective federal structure. Much of the resources that ought to be at the disposal of the governors is still concentrated at the centre. Coupled with this, some observers said is that the ruling political elite are yet to demonstrate sufficient will in reducing the high cost of governance. The lifestyle of most of those in the corridors of power at the centre and states does not suggest they have imbibed the culture of sacrifice they have been preaching to the rest of the people. Some individuals also interrogated some issues raised by Tinubu in his latest broadcast. Some of the questions include if he has been “consistently maintained the position that fuel subsidy had to go and if he was part of 2012 demonstrations against the then Jonathan government that had planned the removal of subsidy. Another poser is on those he referenced the few leeches in the subsidy regime; who are the few and how have they been treated other than punishing the poor who need subsidy. Who are the “handful of people” who are unknown, that he needs to provide details.
Food security vs security of lives and property
It is clear that the president is giving priority to agriculture and small scale medium enterprises in the bid to cushion the effects of subsidy removal on the larger segment of the population. His deep focus on agriculture has led to people expressing concern over the challenge of insecurity that has led to a lot of farmers fleeing from their farmland due to the activities of bandits, cattle rustlers, insurgents and other hardened criminals. Therefore, insecurity of lives poses a major concern to the government desire to boost food security through enhanced funding and provision of incentives to farms.
Nonetheless, a former deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Dr Kingsley Moghalu says he is on the same page with President Tinubu on the relief packages he unveiled in his broadcast to the nation on Monday on the economic policies of his administration. He advised the president on how the overall aim of the package can be achieved and bring succour to the citizens. Moghalu said: “President @officialABAT ‘s speech tonight was very clear about a plan to tackle the inevitable impact of the subsidy removals on the cost of living of the suffering Nigerian masses, and showed empathy too. His government should now be held accountable for execution. That execution should now be performance-managed and monitored. But there can be no return to petrol and forex subsidy if Nigeria is to structurally transform its economy. Next: a value-addition export-oriented economy plan to bring in forex while bottlenecks are removed at home.
“That’s the only way we can ultimately benefit from the removal of the fixed/dual exchange rate that was simply a corruption-trading complex for cabals. Else, the masses take the pains of imported inflation while portfolio foreign investors take the profits. But one yemi Daniel wrote, Thank you sir but with the structural& systemic deficits that is manifest in wasteful spending & the ravaging insecurity, how do we expect effective implementation? I’m curious to know the projected yield per hectare among other things. Which category of businesses are the 75 companies to whom loans will be given at 9% per annum for 36 months? What are the criteria for onboarding 1300SMEs from each of the 774 LGAs, who will get 50k each for months. What is the expected impact in numbers?”
A social critic, John Mayaki, said the various government’s interventions, characterised by conditional grants and financial support for small businesses and farmers were encouraging, as the symphony of opportunities shall create a celestial symphony of employment and income generation, lifting numerous individuals out of the clutches of poverty and elevating their livelihoods to an empyreal realm.” He said the financial support extended to micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises conferred “upon entrepreneurs in low-income communities a resplendent aura of empowerment. . Interventions designed to ensure the continued availability and affordability of staple foods, coupled with the cultivation of vast farmland, bestow upon the poor masses an extraordinary sense of security. This sublime undertaking, resonating with abundance, will grant them a delightful access to affordable and nutritious sustenance, nurturing their health and well-being,” he stated.
What difference will the team make?
The promise by President Tinubu to constitute a cabinet of technocrats and professionals has seen the screening by the Senate, of some of the 28 minister-nominees that formed the first batch. Part from those that were given the privilege of the bow and go, others were screened based on professional career and background, since the president did not attach portfolios to the nominees. A total of 14 out of the 28 nominees were screened, on the first day of the exercise. Seeven were asked to take a bow and go, with others spent minutes providing answers to questions on wide ranging issues, among them, security, infrastructure, issue of date of birth. Listed for screening in the Order Paper on Monday were Senator Abubakar S.Kyari – Borno State; Abubakar Eshiokpekha Momoh – Edo State; Nyesom Ezenwo Wike – Rivers State; Engr. Prof. Joseph Terlumun Utsev – Benue State; Sen. John Owan Enoh – Cross River State; Hon.(Bar) Bello Muhammad -Sokoto State.
Mohammed Badaru Abubakar – Jigawa State and Amb.Yusuf Maitama Tuggar – Bauchi State. Others were Senator Abubakar Sani Danladi – Taraba State; Barr. Uju-Ken Ohaneye – Anambra State; Hon. (Dr). Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo – Ondo State; Dr. Betta C.Edu Cross River State: Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim – Nasarawa State; Arch. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa – Katsina State; Chief Uche Geoffrey Nnaji – Enugu State and Stella Erhuvwuoghene Okotete – Delta State, just as Honourable Nkiru Onyejiocha, Abia Those that got the bow and go syndrome were a two- term of House of Representatives, Honourable Abubakar Momoh from Etsako Local Government Area of Edo State; Senator Abubakar Kyari, who was in the 8th and 9th Senate and presently the Acting National of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC; former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike; a Senator in the 8th Senate, Senator John Enoh; and the immediate Governor of Jigawa State, Abubakar Badaru. Others who were asked to take a bow and go were and former Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives, Nkiru Onyejiocha who represented Isuikwuato/ Umunneochi Federal Constituency, Abia State; former member, House of Representatives and Nigeria Ambassador to Germany, since 2017, Amb. Yusuf Maitama Tuggar.
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