HOW DO WE GET OUT OF THE CYCLE OF VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA?

 WE NEED TO FOCUS ON BUILDING THE MIDDLE CLASS, WHILE CREATING SOCIAL SAFETY NETS FOR THE BOTTOM OF THE PYRAMID:
While Latin America is reaping the gains of economic reforms in Countries such as Brazil, Argentina and Mexico and migrating a lot of people from the bottom of the pyramid to the middle class, we are reaping violence and poverty even though our economy is growing; and one would have felt that a lot more people would have been pulled out of poverty and that we would have started to narrow the gap between the top and the bottom of the pyramid, but the contrary has been the case.
A STRUCTURAL DYSFUNCTION AND A HARVEST OF VIOLENCE: While it is true that a lot of the crisis we have witnessed in Nigeria are a consequence of bad politics, the root causes are more about economic exclusion than politics. From the Area Boys and OPC in the South West, to the Bakassi Boys and Biafra renaissance in the South East, from the MEND Militancy in the South-South to the Boko Haram and Fulani Herdsmen in the North; able bodied men who should have ordinarily been gainfully employed are easily lured into anti-social groups that portend grave danger to the stability of the State.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO STEM THIS TIDE?
I imagine that it is possible to turn the tide if we can do three things very well within the next 5 to 10 years:
1. Education: We need to prioritise education so as to open peoples world to possibilities and give them a life-skill. Chief Obafemi Awolowo was able to do this in the old South West and I believe that an investment in Education always pays off across generations.
2. Job Creation: Given that a lot of the unemployed in Nigeria are actually unemployable because they lack requisite skills, job creation needs to be bundled with vocational skills acquisition using the traditional guild systems so we can start to see people emerge as Mechanics and become employable in the manufacturing industry and in the automotive sector. We need to rebuild the guild system, so we can start to see people also become bricklayers and foremen and become employable in the Construction Industry. We also can start to see people become welders, vulcanisers, blacksmiths, hair-dressers, tailors, cobblers and a host of bottom of the pyramid possibilities will start to emerge, which will mean more than violence and low life-expectancy.
3. Creation of Smaller Governments and Bigger Social Safety Nets: Let us spend less on people in government and their hangers on and spend more on things that guarantee a better quality of life for the people at the bottom of the pyramid, so they too can have access to a life that defines them as humans and not beasts.
ITS TIME TO REORDER OUR PRIORITIES
Let us spend less on Estacodes and private jets and spend more on public schools and primary healthcare centres. Let us spend less on furniture allowances for Legislators and spend more on feeder-roads and rural electrification projects. Let us spread the social safety net and help increase the disposable incomes of those at the middle and the bottom of the pyramid, so we can create a healthy economy, one that looks after the vulnerable in society and profits the rich. One that guarantees a hope for movement across the socio-economic classes, provided people are ready to work hard and be better at what they do. Let's bring back the notion of government as service as opposed to it being about bread and butter, so we can reduce the violence in the land. I believe it is possible. It is about reordering our priorities.

ARE OUR LEADERS THINKING OF US, OR ARE THEY OVERWHELMED WITH THE SPOILS OF OFFICE AND THE LIES BY SYCOPHANTS AND HANGERS-ON?

Greed rather than service seem to be the underlining motive for going into government in Nigeria. Let me give you three scenarios that bring my thesis to life:
1. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO FEED A PRESIDENT?
From the 2015 budget estimates, it will cost 4 Billion Naira to feed the President, his household and guests in 2015. That amount will provide more than 312,000 packs of Indomie Noodles daily, for one year. That is enough to feed the Children in the displaced people's camps in North-East Nigeria for one year. I would reckon that if our leaders were thinking about us, just a quarter of that amount is more than enough.
2. HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HOUSE A VICE PRESIDENT?
Initially, the amount budgeted for the building of a new residence for Vice President Namadi Sambo was 7 Billion naira but given the need to accommodate the lifestyle of the Vice President, the initial plan was altered leading to a cost over-run of 9 Billion naira, bringing the entire cost to 16 Billion naira. 16 Billion Naira will build at least 2 standard Primary Healthcare Centres in each of the 36 States of Nigeria at an average cost of 200 Million Naira. Why do we need a new House for a Vice President? Should that truly be a priority if our leaders are serious?
3. WHAT IS THE SALARY OF A NIGERIAN SENATOR?
The Economist magazine revealed that Nigeria federal legislators, with a basic salary of $189,500.00 per annum (N30.6m), are the highest paid lawmakers in the world. It looked at the lawmakers' basic salary as a ratio of the Gross Domestic Product per person across the world. According to the report, the basic salary (which excludes allowances); of a Nigerian lawmaker is 116 times the country's GDP per person of $1,600.00. In another report, the 469 federal lawmakers (109 senators and 360 members of the House of Representatives) cost Nigeria over N76 billion on annual salaries, allowances and quarterly payments. Each member of the 54 standing Senate committee, receives a monthly imprest of between N648 million and N972 million per year, while, a member of the House of Representatives receives N35 million or N140 million as quarterly or yearly allowances; which means conservatively the 25 per cent of the overhead of the nation's budget goes to the National Assembly. Aside from their scandalous wages, kept from the public consumption, their intended imbedding pensions for life for its principal officers into the Constitution; and now the Federal government's reports that the National Assembly have spent N1 trillion from 2005 to 2013, really makes non-sense of the meaning of service. If only they had cut their wages and allowances in the last 10 years by a half, we would have been able to deliver basic infrastructure which can stimulate growth in the domestic economy.
WHILE AN AVERAGE AMERICAN PRESIDENT AGES IN OFFICE, OURS GET FATTER. WHILE AN AVERAGE BRITISH POLITICIAN RIDES THE TRAIN, OURS RIDE PRIVATE JETS. Little wonder why Nigeria is not working for the good of all?

POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS AND THE REST OF US:

 In Nigeria, politics is more than service, it is a life-time vocation. Politicians have no primary profession and are in the game through all cycles. That explains the desperation and the die-hard posture that comes with it. Some have explained that what is playing out actually shows the inherent weakness of the American styled Presidential system which we currently run as opposed to the British Parliamentary system which we inheri...ted at Independence - hence the high recurrent expenditure, low productivity and low efficiency within the system.

I AM WORRIED ABOUT THE RATIO OF POLITICAL OFFICE HOLDERS TO ORDINARY CITIZENS IN NIGERIA:

 The ratio of political office holders to ordinary citizens in Nigeria is high, but more importantly, the remuneration is also rather high in comparison with our Per Capita GDP which is put at 3,005.51 USD. There is no sound basis for the fixing of wages of political office holders in Nigeria and the bloated public service gives a cause for concern. Furthermore, there are also other curious components of our recurrent expenditure which is dragging down real infrastructure and economic development. How do you explain having so much cars in a Minister's entourage? How do you explain the concept of a Security Vote not open to audit and public scrutiny? And to even imagine that this Security Vote is an exclusive preserve of a Governor of a State month on month and he reserves the right to spend it the way he pleases, not minding the rate of poverty in the land? That is institutional corruption, etched and entrenched by vested interests. To make matters worse, these shenanigans are not open to public scrutiny because they are ring-fenced by the constitution, so they have the backing of the law! These are the real problems and it does not matter the amount of time you recycle leaders, if we do not deal with institutional corruption by restructuring Nigeria, we are going nowhere.

TRUE FEDERALISM IS A BETTER OPTION FOR NIGERIA - THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES IS A GREAT EXAMPLE:

 1. NIGERIA'S VERSION OF FEDERALISM IS AN ABERRATION:
Nigeria's Federal system is at best patchy and glaringly a contradiction of what a truly federal system should be. Nigeria today actually runs a Unitary system with Federating units that draw their legitimacy from the centre as opposed to the centre drawing its legitimacy from the federating units as is the case in other federal arrangements such as the United States of America and the United Arab Emirates. Far from the enthronement of a unitary system that is working, Nigeria's over-centralised structure is glaringly failing and breeding an unbridled lust for power which is holding down development and encouraging corruption and violence. Let's return to the path of true federalism as envisioned by our founding fathers and abolish things like:
1. A big Federal Government and Bi-Camera Legislature which operate full time with bogus emoluments and pensions
2. Federation Account
3. Centralised Policing system
4. Revenue Mobilisations and Fiscal Commission
5. Petroleum Equalisation Fund.
2. LET'S BORROW THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES EXAMPLE:
The United Arab Emirates is a constitutional federation of seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Qaiwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. The federation was formally established on 2 December 1971.
Since the seven Emirates decided to come together as a federal state in 1971, the United Arab Emirates has witnessed an atmosphere of healthy competition which has birthed an era of peace, progress and prosperity as each Emirate continuously strives to develop itself without the overwhelming influence of the centre as is the case in Nigeria.
DECENTRALISING POWER TRULY REDUCES TENSION AND ALLOWS EACH FEDERATING UNIT FIND IT'S VOICE AND SET IT'S PRIORITIES: THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES IS A CLASSIC EXAMPLE OF THE BEAUTY OF TRUE FEDERALISM:
Under the United Arab Emirates federal arrangement, "each of the component emirates already had its own existing institutions of government prior to 1971 and, to provide for the effective governing of the new state, the rulers agreed to draw up a provisional Constitution specifying the powers that were to be allocated to the new federal institutions, all others remaining the prerogative of the emirates. Areas of responsibility assigned to the federal authorities, under Articles 120 and 121 of the Constitution, were foreign affairs, security and defense, nationality and immigration issues, education, public health, currency, postal, telephone and other communications services, air traffic control and licensing of aircraft, in addition to a number of other topics specifically prescribed, including labor relations, banking, delimitation of territorial waters and extradition of criminals. The Constitution also stated in Article 116 that 'the Emirates shall exercise all powers not assigned to the Federation by this Constitution".
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES IN THE LAST 4 DECADES:
Since coming together as a truly federal state in 1971 with strong federating units and a centre which allowed each federating units develop at its own pace rather than the over centralised system in Nigeria with a centre that insists that revenue be shared centrally and the concept of deve;lopment be universalised as is the case in Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates has witnessed unprecedented growth and development. From the transformation of Dubai into a business hub and a tourism destination of choice, to the building of a truly modern city in Abu Dhabi to great growth and development feats in the other emirates of Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Qaiwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah, each emirate picked its own priority and decided to run with it, creating one strong nation that is not only the envy of all in the Middle-east but indeed, the rest of the world. Celebrating 4 decades of the success of true Federalism in the UAE in 2011, Hani Al Hamli, Secretary-General of Dubai Economic Council stated that the National Day is not just a traditional occasion. "It’s a chance for us to document an ongoing stream of achievements of a nation which enabled itself to turn into a model of development and civilization for many countries worldwide".
IN CONCLUSION: THERE IS NO BETTER PATH FOR NIGERIA TO FOLLOW THAN ALLOW TRUE FEDERALISM - THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ALREADY OFFERS US A BRILLIANT EXAMPLE:
To the believers of the statusquo in Nigeria who see the call for true federalism as unpatriotic, please study the UAE model again and be educated on the possibilities which will blossom if only we can return to true federalism with strong regions which are allowed to set their development priorities and grow at their own pace rather than have a strong and mighty centre that is holding us all down. The United Arab Emirates example is a golden one which I think we should follow rather than continuously be embedded in political struggles such as the current Boko Haram insurgency and the Niger-Delta Militancy. We need to allow each region retain its identity, while allowing each region the right to set its development priority. I believe we all will be stronger and better for it. The UAE already points us in the right direction!

A NATION CANNOT RISE ABOVE THE PERSPECTIVE OF IT'S LEADERS:

 Its time for a new vision. It's time for a different agenda. It's time for a fresh perspective to the problems of Nigeria
CHINA OFFERS US A GOOD EXAMPLE:
China may not be a Democracy sensu stricto, but because the Communist Party of China runs an hierarchical system, it is possible to discern distinct generations of Chinese leadership. There is usually a 10 year cycle before new leaders who have been groomed and prepared for the role are given the mantle of leadership. Over the years, there has been changes in the leadership of China across generations and each generation, in defining its own vision, comes to the table with a distinct extension of the ideology of the Communist party.
THE FOUNDERS GENERATION, DEFINED BY THE IRON RICE BOWL - MAO ZEDONG AND THE ERA OF BIG STATE AND SMALL ECONOMY:
The first generation, from 1949 to 1976, consisted of Mao Zedong as core, along with Zhou Enlai, Liu Shaoqi, Zhu De, Chen Yun, Peng Dehuai, and later Lin Biao. This was the era of the Iron Rice bowl, when the State was everything and directed everything as China was purely Communist and was directed by a stiff State policy which frowned at individualism and capitalism and pursued a communal posture and communist ideology. With the death of Chairman Mao, the weakness of this perspective as seen in the high level of poverty based on low aggregate production because the State guaranteed the iron rice bowl (in literal parlance - job security) to all its citizens regardless of whether they were productive or not, forced a new vision by a new generation.
THE SECOND GENERATION - 1976 - 1992 - THE MOVE FOR A LIBERALIZED ECONOMY
The era began with Hua Guofeng as the successor to Mao, but his position was soon eclipsed by the ascendancy of Deng Xiaoping as the paramount leader, in which position he remained at least until 1992 when he resigned from his leadership positions. This era saw the implementation of structural reforms aimed at raising China's economic fortunes. It saw the move for the control of population growth, labour reforms and the move for a better management of economic resources. This generation saw the smashing of Chairman Mao's Iron Rice Bowl and the move towards a liberal economy.
FROM THE THIRD TO THE FIFTH GENERATION: OPENING CHINA TO THE WORLD AND TAKING CHINA TO THE WORLD
From 1992, when the third generation took the reins of power, we have seen China open up to the world by joining the World Trade Organisation, hosting the Olympics and getting involved with Africa towards driving its industrial growth agenda by aligning with resource rich Countries in Africa in exchange for infrastructural and technical support. The third to fifth generation have asserted China's presence on the world stage not only as an alternate power but also a key economic bloc.
WHILE ALL THESE WAS GOING ON IN CHINA, NIGERIA HAS REMAINED STUCK WITH ITS SECOND GENERATION OF LEADERS
Nigeria has been stuck with the second generation of leaders who took over from the founding Fathers who have just been recycling themselves in the corridors of power instead of allowing a new generation of leaders to emerge. Little wonder then why Nigeria appears to be stagnating? Its time to change this trend.

BEFORE THE CANDIDATES GET CARRIED AWAY - LET'S FOCUS ON THE REAL ISSUES: WHERE ARE WE ON THE HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT INDEX?

I just read Muhammed Buhari's pledge today. It looks to me a right-headed document and a breath of fresh air, but it still did not address succinctly, the most critical issue: How do we raise the standard of living of our people and make development truly count for the ordinary Nigerian? This question is at the heart of "corruption of need" in Nigeria. A smart government will focus on this because it is the route to addressing our development challenge and surmounting the obstacles on our route to exiting Nigeria's resource curse. Nigeria has the largest population in Africa and has an abundance of natural resources. While it focuses its attention on its natural resources, it is losing its human capital. Truth is our human capital is the unique resource which ordinarily should give us an edge. Our large population should be a key source of competitive advantage. Aside from having a large workforce, this resource has the potential of transforming Nigeria into a large emerging market and can also trigger local production which can serve the African region. The combined net effect of these is economic development through an increase in the Gross Domestic Product and social stability. The flip-side of this possibility is currently at play. The opposition needs to come to the table with a Human Capital Development deal which raises our national productivity and develops capacity for tomorrow's economy.

 THE STARTING POINT: HOW WE ARE DOING IN TERMS OF FULFILLING THE MDG's?

 The Millennium Development Goals offers us a good platform for building our Human Capital. There are 8 of them:

 1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

 2. Achieve universal primary education

 3. Promote gender equality and empower women

 4. Reduce child mortality

 5. Improve maternal health

 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

 7. Ensure environmental sustainability

 8. Global partnership for development

 THE INTERVENTION POINT: WHAT IS OUR SCORE CARD ON THE MDG's THUS FAR?

 MDG 1: Eradicate Extreme Poverty

 Poverty Rate: 46%. Access to Clean Water: 49%.

 Nigeria's poverty rate is very high, and when one considers the fact that Nigeria is home to some of the richest people in Africa, the social and economic inequality becomes even more glaring, with the combined income of the top 1 % of the Nigerian Society being more than the combined income of the bottom 50%.

 MDG2: Achieve Universal Primary Education:

 Primary School Enrollment Rate: 65.7%

 This is relatively okay and growing, however, the school enrollment rate of the Girl-Child remains low and is being threatened by Religious insurgency up North.

 MDG 3: Promote Gender Equality

 While the nation's legal framework supporting Gender Equality falls far short of the MDG requirements, the ratio of Female representation in the executive arm of government is actually near target.

 MDG 4: Reduce Child Mortality

 Still very high. With 608 deaths per 100,000 deliveries, Nigeria ranks second only to India in the list of nations with the worst child mortality. The UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS4) report recently conducted indicates that under-five mortality in Nigeria increased from 138 per 1,000 live births in 2007 to 158 per 1,000 live births in 2011.

 MDG 5: Improve Maternal Health

 Still very high but improving. 510 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2013, down from 630 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2010

 MDG's 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases:

 HIV Prevalence Rate: 3.1% (Still high and is essentially being spread by Commercial Sex Workers)

 Malaria: According to UNICEF, Malaria is the most significant public health problem in Nigeria. The economic cost of malaria, arising from cost of treatment, loss of productivity and earning due to days lost from illness, is as high as 1.3% of economic growth per annum. The disease is a major cause of maternal mortality and poor child development.

 Tuberculosis: According to WHO Tuberculosis is still a major public health problem in Nigeria, with the country ranking 5th among the 22 high TB burden countries which collectively bear 80% of the global burden of TB. The number of TB cases notified in the country increased from 31,264 in 2002 to 90,307 in 2008.

 MDG 7: Ensure environmental sustainability

 Deforestation Rate: According to FAO, Nigeria has the world's highest deforestation rate of primary forests. Between 2000 and 2005 the country lost 55.7 percent of its primary forests to excessive logging, subsistence agriculture, and the collection of fuelwood.

 Oil Spillage: According to Oil Spill Conference Nigeria 2014, over 600 oil spill incidents are recorded in Nigeria annually

 Gas Flaring: According to World Watch Institute, Russia and Nigeria are the two largest emitters of flare gas in the world. According to World Bank statistics, Nigeria flares about 20 billion cubic meters of gas annually.

 MDG 8: Global partnership for development: Nigeria will need to rev-up Global partnership working with the likes of the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) in order to be able to meet MDG 1 - 7.

 WE SEEM TO BE FALLING SHORT RATHER THAN RISING IN TERMS OF MEETING THESE GOALS:

 In 2013, the United Nations singled out Nigeria along-sides Sierra Leone and Somalia as Countries that need to do more if the goals of the MDG's are to be realized. I reckon that government needs to do a lot of reality checks rather than continue to chase shadows. We need to focus our priority on poverty reduction and human development, essentially looking at Health and Education. We cannot continue to save-up to go for treatments abroad, while also investing what could have been used to develop the local education system on overseas university enrollments. It’s time to get our priorities right; and I reckon that if our politicians are right-headed, this should be a key campaign topic, rather than such things as rotational Presidency and ethnic balancing. Truth be told, with our wealth and with the strength of the local economy which is put at about 510 Billion Dollars (2013 GDP rebased figures), we are lagging behind the world and we need to do something fast. WE NEED TO KNOW WHO IS PRIORITIZING HUMAN CAPITAL DEVELOPMENT AND WHO IS NOT.

 Bolaji Okusaga is a Lagos based PR Practitioner

EATING AWAY OUR FUTURE - OIL AND THE DILEMMA OF A NATION

According to a Standard Bank study, Nigeria has earned revenues in excess of $1.6 trillion in the last 50 years, but there is so little to show for it in terms of infrastructure or in terms of sovereign investment. Nigeria recently set up a Sovereign Wealth Fund, albeit with a lot of resistance from the Governors Forum, who will rather that the monies in the excess crude account be shared and squandered as we have done in the past fifty years; but even then, that intervention is too little and needless to state that it may be too late as time is running out on the Kleptocracy that Nigeria has been in the last 50 years.

 COMPARING OTHER OIL PRODUCING COUNTRIES SOVEREIGN INVESTMENT TO THEIR GDP:

 Given the need for resource based economies to diversify their income base, a lot of Oil and Commodity led economies started the move from traditional reserve management to investing proceeds from their resources in other investment vehicles such as Stocks and Bonds across the World; and by so doing, diversify their income base while edging against volatility in the resource or commodity market. In doing this, a lot of these economies had reckoned that capital need to be deployed in economies with capacity and markets with growth potential in order to drive maximal output and investment appreciation. Today, a lot of those investments have grown and are providing a cushion for periodic volatility in the resource or commodity market. Saudi Arabia for instance has a Sovereign Investment value worth 98% of it 780 Billion Dollar GDP, while Kuwait has a Sovereign Investment that stands at 150% of its 200.062 Billion Dollar GDP with both Countries also ranking very high in terms of per capita GDP. But on the flip-side, Nigeria's Sovereign Investment stands at 0.3 percent of 2013 GDP of $510, with a current reserve that is less than 40 Billion Dollars.

 CREATION OF BIG GOVERNMENT AND BOGUS BUREAUCRACIES RATHER THAN INVESTING IN HUMAN CAPACITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

 Now we seem to be in panic mode since Crude Oil began to witness a free fall in the international market because we have failed to appropriate the opportunity provided by the in-flow of over $1.6 Trillion in the last 50 years, to build robust infrastructure which can support growth and create jobs. We have also failed to invest in the future, beyond traditional reserve management, and by so doing, stabilize our economy. Yet we keep feeding a big government created by arbitrary State creation and funding of phony Bureaucracies which are self-serving and not adding value, to the extent that Nigeria has the largest Public Sector in Africa and one of the lowest private sector employment to population ratio in the world. But this large Public Sector has not translated to greater efficiency in th

 e delivery of public service and part of the hindrance to competitiveness and ease of doing business in Nigeria is the corruption and inefficiency of Nigeria's bogus Public Sector.

 WE NEED TO RETHINK OUR ROUTE TO NATIONHOOD

 Rethinking our route to nationhood seem to be the sustainable solution to stemming the kind of profligacy we have seen in the last 50 years. I really do not believe we need 36 States if 2/3 of these States are going to remain takers and not contributors to the National Treasury. We do not need a bogus Bureaucracy which duplicates Civil Service Structures across the 36 States if all we have seen is more corruption than service. What we need no is a system which frees each Federating zone to create wealth from the different resources available within their immediate environment - whether human or natural resources - and share same with the centre rather than having the centre become Lord and Master with parasitic States that do not have any source of revenue beyond the Federation Account. Truth be told, Nigeria will remain a profligate State under the current arrangement.

Bolaji Okusaga is a Lagos based PR Practitioner

JUXTAPOSING THE REALITY WITH WHAT IS HAPPENING TO NIGERIAN CRUDE GIVEN AMERICA'S DISCONTINUED PATRONAGE

 

MUCH ADO ABOUT SHALE OIL AND GAS: FRACKING AND SEISMIC ACTIVITIES STILL REMAIN MAJOR ISSUES TO FULLY HARNESSING THE POTENTIAL OF SHALE:

 While it is true that there are major advances in the discovery of Shale Oil and Gas, there are also linkages to unfavourable seismic activities based on the process being used to extract Shale. This process which involves hydraulic fracturing (or franking for short) involves an artificial stimulation technique in which rock is fractured by a hydraulically pressurized liquid. Some hydraulic fractures form naturally, but fracking attempts to do this artificially and thus leads to tremors and earthquakes as have been recently discovered. Truth therefore is that while Shale Oil discovery may be a major break-through, Science and Technology is yet to find a suitable and environmentally friendly way of drilling for Shale Oil.

 

What I reckon may be happening is that America is using its Crude Oil Reserve in Alaska to make-up for the gaps in its global demand, while it tries to perfect current unfavourable consequences from Fracking. My take is that Nigeria should immediately pass the Petroleum Industry Bill, so as to encourage investment in the Oil and Gas Sector and deepen local participation in areas such as Gas, Refining, Petro-Chemical (Fertilizers and others) as well as Polymer-Tech so this God-given resources can become a driver of Nigeria's Industrial Growth, a key component of the GDP and a chief foreign exchange earner.

 LET'S IMAGINE THE POSSIBILITIES, RATHER THAN CRYING OVER THE CHALLENGES - TIME FOR SMART LEADERSHIP

 1. Just imagine what it will be like to have 40 - 50% of refined petroleum products in Africa come from Nigeria.

 2. Just imagine what it will be like to have Nigeria become a key supplier of fertilizer to African Countries, not to talk of Plastics, Bitumen and other derivatives from Crude.

 3. Imagine what this will mean for local employment and the economy of the Niger-Delta region.

 4. Just imagine if the Trans-Sahara Gas project can be completed and Nigeria becomes a key Gas supplier not only to Africa, but also Europe, given the proximity. Truth is, while we cry about Shale, we must also start to take practical steps rather than just squander our God-given resources the way we have been doing. Its time for Smart Leadership - one that understands the problem and has the capacity to proffer solution!

Bolaji Okusaga is a Lagos based PR Practitioner

 

HOW DO WE MAKE NIGERIA A SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISE?

This seems to be the all-important question that no one is proffering an answer to. We have a Constitution that says all monies that accrue to government must go to the Federation Account and must be shared amongst the different tiers of government in agreed ratio with no provision for savings or investments. As if that is not enough, the issue of recurrent to capital expenditure in the annual budget also remains a major bane to development - what with a housing deficit of 17 million, with over 135,000km of road network in the country still remaining un-tarred; with Doctor to patient ratio still very low and hospital facilities nationwide inadequate for a population that is increasing by over 2% each year - the question remains: how do we move forward?

 WITH 72% ALLOCATED TO RECURRENT EXPENDITURE AND 28% TO CAPITAL PROJECTS - LITTLE WONDER WHY NOTHING NEW CAME OUT OF THE 2009 - 2014 OIL BOOM?

 It is common knowledge that our Public Service rather than add value keeps depleting the nations resource base. A lot has been said about Government being the biggest employer of labour, but truth is, what percentage of the 72% budgeted for recurrent expenditure actually goes to salaries and emoluments of public sector workers? Analysts posit that just 40% of the entire 72% voted for recurrent expenditure actually goes for Salaries and Emoluments. The rest is swallowed up by corruption.

 IF I WERE PRESIDENT, I WILL SEND THE ENTIRE PUBLIC SECTOR HOME AND STILL PAY THEIR SALARIES UNTIL I AM ABLE TO DETECT THE HOLE THAT IS SWALLOWING 60% OF THE AMOUNT BUDGETED FOR RECURRENT EXPENDITURE

 This sound illogical, but very plausible, because by sending the entire public sector home while still paying them salaries, you will be able to determine the service that is really essential and also saving about 60% of the amount allocated for recurrent expenditure.

 IF I WERE PRESIDENT - I WILL COMPEL THE GROUPING OF STATES INTO REGIONS SO AS TO HAVE ECONOMICAL VIABLE UNITS AND NOT TAKERS

 What is the use having 36 States with over 60% of the States as takers and not givers? Shouldn't we be moving towards more economical models which enable better resource management and frees the private sector to actually lead growth while government boosts Capital Expenditure and ensures budget performance while reducing corruption?

 UNFORTUNATELY, NON OF THE SO-CALLED PEOPLE ASPIRING TO RUN NIGERIA IN 2015 ARE FOCUSING ON THIS ALL IMPORTANT ISSUE. How do we create a viable nation and prioritize what really matters?

Bolaji Okusaga is a Lagos based PR Practitioner