ITV State of the Nation Debate of
24th March 2013: Governance
in Nigeria: Focus on Fuel subsidy removal, Cost of Governance, infrastructural
development, insecurity, redundancies, corruption and developmental finance.
Discussants- His Excellency Prince Frank Onaivi Ukonga- Chairman/ governorship
candidate SDMP Edo State, Chief Solomon Edebiri Governorship candidate ANPP Edo
state represented by Pastor Oni Miracle, and Mr. Solomon Idiogbe – Chairman
National Youth Council of Nigeria. Panalist- Mr. Wilson of Itv.
ITV- Mr. Wilson: Welcome to this
debate program of our ace Television station ITV on the State of the Nation
Debate focus on governance in Nigeria so far-How do you access governance in
Nigerian democratic dispensation Mr. Oni Miracle.
ANPP- Pastor Oni Miracle: Governance
in Nigeria has witnessed lots of short comings in the aspects of
infrastructural development of the polity, in particular the issue of
electricity generation and distributions, for instance we had no electricity
for two days running now in my area in Benin city and I had to improvise on how
to iron my cloths by using generating set. When the Obj era came in 1999 he
promised to solve the problems of electricity but at the end of the day we are
still worst of. The issue of Roads that are in bad conditions is another, while
the lack of continuity in the government projects and focus is another
albatross. When one government leaves, the succeeding one abandons most of the
projects of the predecessors and causing hardship on the people.
ITV Mr. Wilson: His Excellency
Prince Frank Ukonga, How do you access governance in Nigeria in so far?
SDMP: His Excellency Prince Frank
Ukonga: Nigeria is about 100 years old and we had independence 53 years ago and
out of this the military ruled for upwards of 30 years through decrees and the
first and second republics were truncated with portable achievements to show in
the aspects of quality service delivery to the people. Nevertheless the only
period we can actually focus on is that of the contemporary nescient democratic
dispensation that started in 1999. And it was brought to being out of the June
12 debacle in hurried transition where Obj was hurriedly released from prison
and elected to lead the Nation out of the woods. In my assessments of the Obj
Eight years era he did tried to be as good a president as the time and
circumstances would allow. And above all he passed as in the highest category
of measure of governmental success is to hand over the sovereignty to the next
successor in tact which he succeeded in doing but in other aspects of quality
service delivery to the peoples more would have been desired. The Yar Adua era
was too short to make adequate impact on service delivery as death snatched him
while the period of President Goodluck Jonathan could boast of some portable
strides for now and may perhaps become significant.
NYCN: Solomon Idiogbe: In my
opinion the general service delivery to the electorate by the democratic
dispensation is poor. Nigeria is very rich and blessed with natural resources.
In the past people talk about agriculture as the main source of earnings but
with the discovery of oil everybody abandoned agriculture and are crazily
chasing after oil money. The issue of corruption and looting of state and
government treasuries is another source of great concern.
ITV Mr. Wilson: How do you access
the spate of insecurity in the country with particular reference to the
emerging terrorism?
ANPP Mr. Oni Miracles: The
insecurity issue has become a big concern to everybody including the
international community. Boko Haram insurgence killing and bombing people in
discriminately is giving Nigeria a bad name. And this also account for the
failure of the present administration in curbing this which the Obasanjo regime
would not tolerate but would device a strong military action to stop as the
Niger Delta militant issue was resolved in the Obasanjo era with military
fiasco.
ITV Mr Wilson: And what is the
view of His Excellency Prince Frank Ukonga about the insecurity in the country
SDMP: His Excellency Prince Frank
Ukonga: The insecurity in Nigeria caused by the insurgences of terrorism is
more of a political issue which sterns from our historical amalgamation of the
more than 250 colligating tribes of the Nigerian polity. But in general the
Nigerian case is the spill over of the global insecurity issue particularly the
restive Middle East as a result of the policy thrust of Al Quada that has
intent of destabilizing Sub Saharan Africa with the intent of gaining control
of that region. So they look out for polity with political, ethnic strives and
perhaps religion differences and election impasse and they use this as a reason
de entre to destabilize the region based on strategic rules of engagements.
They are presently holed in Mali and some other areas of North Africa as
training camps for terrorist addressed to unleash terror in many Nation states
of the Sub Saharan Africa and worthy of note is that the Nigerian government
has sent troops to North Africa, Mali in particular to dislodge the terrorists.
NYCN: I see the insecurity issue as
the continuous obnoxious strategy of the politicians to keep the polity subjugated
and poor, as a tool to continue to rule and dominate the polity. Aside the
issue of corruption nepotism and leadership are part of the problems causing
insecurity in the country. Not until when we begin to do things in the right
manner most of these problems will continue to linger on. While the issue of
rigging in polls both in the internal primaries of political parties that
conflagrate the polity as in other aspects leads to strives and whence the
result is widespread insecurity of life and properties.
ITV Mr. Wilson: There is the
general notion that Nigeria is rich and can afford to deliver to the electorate
quality service delivery in the aspects of raising developmental finance for infrastructural
developments and what are the factors
hindering this His Excellency Prince Frank Ukonga
SDMP : His Excellency Prince
Frank Ukonga: The notion that Nigeria is very rich due to receipt from monoculture
oil exports is over embellished as the
inability to raise adequate developmental finance had always been the reason
for the inability to deliver quality service in the aspects of infrastructural
development in the entire Nation states of Sub Saharan Africa including
Nigeria. It is also not recommended for states and governments to go a
borrowing in the aspects of infrastructural developmental finance which usually
indebts these governments in the obnoxious debt trap; so many states of sub
Saharan Africa has taken to the options
looking inwards to raising developmental finance through Internal Generated
Revenue IGR. Addressed to augment, the earning from exports. Frankly speaking
many states in Nigeria according to Dr Sanusi Lamido, Governor of the CBN are not viable as in many
are greatly indebted. The cost of governance, corruption and mismanagements are
also considerable.
ANPP: Mr. Oni Miracle: I do not
subscribe to the view of His Excellency Frank Ukonga over the fact that it is
want of developmental finance that is hindering the politicians from quality
service delivery to the electorate. It is a well known fact that Nigeria is making
quite considerable amount of money from oil export receipts which if well
manage can make a difference in service delivery of infrastructural
development. The main issue here as I believe is the looting of private and
public funds by politicians, the issue of corruptions, inept leadership, not
putting the right peg in the right hole and many other sundry reasons amount to
this inability to deliver quality services to the peoples of Nigeria.
NYCN: Mr. Solomon Idiogbe: It is
true that Nigeria earns considerable tithe from oil exports and if judiciously
employed should be able to deliver on quality services in the aspects of
infrastructural development of the Nigerian state. But what we have at present
are bad roads, poorly equipped hospitals, falling standard of education and
morality, looting of state and private treasuries, corruption, tribalism and
all the symptoms of a nation in ruins.
ITV: Mr. Wilson: His Excellency
Frank Ukonga, you made mention of the Cost of governance as a hindrance in
quality service delivery to the electorate in contemporary times in the Nigeria
polity, can you be more explicit.
SDMP: His Excellency Prince Frank
Ukonga: Recently the Nigerian Finance Minister Mrs. Okonjo Iweala revealed that
the Nigerian government both state and federal as well as Local governments
spends above 70% of their earnings in running governments as in salaries,
bills, and overheads leaving a pastry 30% for capital expenditure. That is, the
recurrent expenditures and social spending of governments eats up the large
chunk of our earnings. She was able within one year to prune this down to 50%
and we shall begin to see the effects of her transformation by the time she
succeeds to pruning it down to manageable international standard practice of
not more than 25% for cost of running governments. This will release more funds
for infrastructural development, education, health care, and other aspects of
governance.
ANPP: Pastor Oni Miracles: This
is not exactly true, as Mrs. Okonjo Iweala is a World Bank /IMF trained and
most of their panacea to our economic problems is not overtly working for us in
Nigeria. So her method is suspect. As usual the IMF conditionality are always
not overtly masses friendly as in pruning down the cost of running government
would inadvertently translate to laying off many civil servants which will
further exacerbate the unemployment situation and the vulnerability of the
country.
NYCN: Mr. Solomon Idiogbe: The
IMF/World bank methods are in deed suspect and it may cause hardship on the
Nigerian Masses. But I still believe if we cut down mismanagement and
corruption, looting of state and government treasuries by the politicians and
other directors of ministries a large chunk of funds would be available that
can be used for capital expenditures.
ITV: Mr WILSON: His Excellency
Prince Frank Ukonga, you also mentioned the issue of IGR- Internally generated
Revenue being a new policy thrust for states and federal government to looking
inwards to generating developmental finance, is that perhaps the reason for the
proposed removal of Fuel subsidy by the Federal government.
SDMP: His Excellency Prince Frank
Ukonga: The fuel subsidy removal will release a chuck of developmental finance
to the federal and state governments as well as to the Local governments. But
then that is not the only reason for the fuel subsidy removal. The fuel subsidy
is the main factor chaining Nigeria down from following the path destiny had
for her. Nigeria is destined to be a petro chemical industrial giant. With many
private refineries, petrochemical plants refining and exporting refined
petrochemical products. But this is not possible because the industry is being
subsidized so any private investor in that field will not make any profit. But
when you remove the subsidy it will become a profitable industry for the
private sector and many investors will rush into the country. It will also
create jobs, and improve our overall Gross Domestic Product and its resulting
Gross National Product. Removing the fuel subsidy will be the best thing that
ever happened to the Nigerian state since independence.
ANPP: Pastor Oni Miracle: No I do
not agree with His Excellency Prince Frank Ukonga. The fuel subsidy issue is
political and we do not know how much exactly it is to refine our crude oil
locally and how much is the cost of a Littre of petro. It is on this basis you
can determine whether or not there is really a subsidy. As many people are of
the opinion that the fuel subsidies as well as the allocation of oil blocks are
only meant to profit a select few of elite class and that is why I do not
subscribe to the fuel subsidy removal which multiplier effect will bring
further hardship on the masses of Nigeria.
NYCN: Mr. Solomon Idiogbe: It is
true that the removal of fuel subsidy by the present government will bring
untold hardship on the peoples of Nigeria and as I have said earlier perhaps if
proper cost accounting and management is put in place we may be able to eat our
cake and have it.
ITV: Mr. Wilson: Finally we come
to the issue of job creation and the high rate of unemployment in the country.
What do you think is the cause and what panacea are available Mr. Solomon
Idiogbe.
NYCN: Mr. Solomon Idiogbe: There
is acute unemployment of the large work force of the Nigeria and the youth that
I represent are feeling de franchised from the governance of the Nigerian
polity. We believe the government has to do more on job creation through the
establishments of industries, support for medium and small scale industries and
to attract FDI. It is a pity that the senate rejected financial support for
unemployed graduate which could have been at least a buffer to ameliorate the
hardship on unemployed youth of this country.
SDMP: His Excellency Prince Frank
Ukonga: The aspects of unemployment as in voluntary and involuntary
redundancies is indeed acute in Nigeria and perhaps a time bomb and the government has to do more on job
creation through industrial d agricultural revolutions. These and many other
aspects of youth employment are what we offer at SDMP if voted to power in the
2015 general elections.
ITV: Mr. Wilson: What do you
think can be done to stem out corruption and mismanagement in the country Mr.
Oni Miracles
ANPP: Pastor Oni Miracle: I think
we need a new thinking, a new reorientation in this country. Also the EFCC,
ICPC and all other anti corruption agencies need to do more. The issue of plea
bargain has to be reviewed as to its relevance as such it will not provide
enough deterrence to those that want to follow the path of dishonor.
Well thank you His Exceelncy
Prince Frank Ukonga and other gentlemen for joining us in this epoch making
program of the state of the Nation debate at ITV on the governance in Nigeria
and we hope that the relevant authorities of government will appreciate the
contributions of the discussants and pt some of the panacea to our problems
into actions. We also thank all our viewers at Nigeria and abroad for tuning
in. thanks and God Bless… wishing you all Happy Easter in Advance.
