Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Re: STATE OF THE NATION

Again, thank you, Prof Bolaji Aluko, for a broader, more objective
expose of what the government of President Buhari is attempting to do
to rectify a Nigerian economy that was tottering on collapsing under
the weight of so much when President Buhari took over. They included a
bloated bureaucracy, extensive, rampant corruption, collusion in the
continuous stealing of national assets and funds, lack of foresight
and effective planning for the diversification of the Nigerian economy
, the financial burden of dealing with insurgent forces and vandals
determined to wreck the meagre energy and oil infrastructure that
Nigeria has. The most damaging and this is totally outside the control
of any one in Nigeria is the global oil and gas businesses wherein
prices have plunged to levels that are most destructive to highly
dependent oil and gas economy as those of Venezuela, Nigeria, Angola,
etc.

My short list so far tallying results of achievements reaching me so
far are provided below. This achievements are occuring while
President Buhari's government is working with 70 to 80 % lower
revenues from oil and gas compared to the past 10 years for Nigeria.

N8 billions per month from elimination of ghost workers, translates to
$2.6 million per month or $31.2 millions per year. Please forgive that
I have used N300 per dollar for my conversion.
I read about a figure of N1.117 Trillions saved from eliminating the
national budget draining, corrupt fuels subsidy that was established
for power broker barons to fleece Nigeria. The N1.117 Trillions
converts to $3.9 billions
I read that another $10.7 billions in cash and assets have been
recovered from persons unnamed so far

My good Nigerians, the list above suggests a good start for nation
building as i understand the concept. I suggest patience through 2017
unless OPEC agrees to an oil production freeze and vandals of all
stripes in Nigeria stop damaging major oil and gas assets and
infrastructure thereby even further cutting Nigeria's oil and gas
revenues.

Have a pleasant weekend.


Dr. Soni Olufemi Oyekan

On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 1:21 PM, Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> Joe Attueyi:
>
> Here is Shehu Garba making a statement:
>
>
> QUOTE
>
> Mr. Shehu also responded to criticisms that the Buhari administration's
> economic policies were not clear. "There are many who say that this
> Government's economic strategy is unclear whereas the previous government
> seemed well co-ordinated," he said. "I will make the confession that we, the
> officials hired to communicate government policies, that includes myself,
> have not done as well as we should have. "The truth is that more than any
> other time before, there is a clear direction and strategy for achieving
> growth and development. "Revisionists may not agree, but the truth of the
> matter is that the previous administration only had one issue, which was how
> to spend money (oil revenues and borrowed money).'' He said that the
> spending by the past administration was focused on the wrong things and even
> though the economy seemed to be growing it was not sustainable.
>
>
> UNQUOTE
>
>
>
> Bolaji Aluko
>
>
>
> PREMIUM TIMES
>
>
> Nigeria saves N8 billion monthly by eliminating 40,000 ghost workers –
> Presidency
>
> September 5, 2016Premium Times
>
>
> By getting rid of 40,000 ghost workers, the Muhammadu Buhari administration
> is saving N8 billion monthly, a presidential aide has said.
>
> Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the
> President, stated this in a statement issued on Monday on the state of the
> Nigerian economy.
>
> "See what the current administration is doing to sanitise the huge salary
> bill by eliminating payroll fraud," Mr. Shehu said.
>
> "So far, the federal payroll has been rid of about 40,000 ghost workers.
> More than eight billion naira stolen monthly has been saved."
>
> He said the Federal Government is also determined to enforce fiscal
> discipline across the states to check wasteful spending.
>
> He said the Federal Government would force the state governments to reform
> their spending and build savings and investments.
>
> Mr. Shehu said the reform would include blockage of leakages that allowed
> government's revenues to be siphoned into private hands.
>
> "The Federal Government is not limiting the reforms to the centre, but
> forcing state governments to reform their spending and build savings or
> investments,'' he said.
>
> He said that the ongoing probe into the finances of the military authorities
> was part of the reform aimed at checking corrupt practices in the military
> establishment.
>
> "Look at what a civilian administration is today doing to the military,
> investigating their finance and accounts that the military could not do to
> themselves.
>
> "We are also saving on wasteful expenses like First Class Travel and Private
> Jets for official trips.
>
> According to the presidential aide, government is also increasing spending
> on capital projects, especially on infrastructure needed to make Nigerian
> businesses competitive and create jobs.
>
> "Currently, there is focus on key sectors (apart from oil) that can create
> jobs and or generate revenue such as Agriculture, Solid Minerals and
> Manufacturing.''
>
> He said that if these things had been done when the oil price was as high as
> $140 per barrel, Nigeria would not be in the current predicament.
>
> "We would not be suffering now if we had no cash reserves, but we had
> regular supply of power, a good rail system, good roads and good housing.
>
> "Now that the oil has fallen as low as 28 dollars per barrel, it is very
> difficult to do what is needed but they must be done to save Nigeria.
>
> "There is no other way if we want to be honest.
>
> "If PDP were still in power they would have continued deceiving people, by
> borrowing to fund stealing and wastage and the problem would have simply
> been postponed for future generations to face."
>
> Mr. Shehu also responded to criticisms that the Buhari administration's
> economic policies were not clear.
>
> "There are many who say that this Government's economic strategy is unclear
> whereas the previous government seemed well co-ordinated," he said.
>
> "I will make the confession that we, the officials hired to communicate
> government policies, that includes myself, have not done as well as we
> should have.
>
> "The truth is that more than any other time before, there is a clear
> direction and strategy for achieving growth and development.
>
> "Revisionists may not agree, but the truth of the matter is that the
> previous administration only had one issue, which was how to spend money
> (oil revenues and borrowed money).''
>
> He said that the spending by the past administration was focused on the
> wrong things and even though the economy seemed to be growing it was not
> sustainable.
>
> (NAN)
>
>
>
> On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 10:34 AM, Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>> Joe Attueyi:
>>
>> 1. Lai Mohammed is a personal friend of forty years....from our Ife days
>> as student activists. So the issue of him "taking prisoners" of me for my
>> commentary will not arise.
>>
>> 2. Lai is in fact an effective "Minister of Information and Culture" -
>> perhaps one of the most hard-working in the Cabinet. The Minister portfolio
>> is NOT the kind of spokesperson that I am writing about. I am thinking of a
>> spokesperson whose only and daily job is to outline government policy -
>> sometimes standing up in a press conference, or making the daily rounds of
>> TV. What he does not know, he will waive, and say (and mean it) that he
>> will return in a day or two to give the answers. I am thinking of a person
>> who can go to the President or any Minister or MDA chief, and say "Listen, I
>> told the nation that I will give them the answer to this question before the
>> end of this week; our reputation is at stake; what do you have for me?" -
>> and they will respond. It is the President who can make such a spokesperson
>> to be respected.
>>
>> 3. "Young" as in 30 years old to no more than 45 years old.
>> Knowledgeable in Foreign Affairs, Economics, Politics, Science, Social Media
>> and Use of English; affable, loyal and un-bribe-able; and at the same time
>> having the pulse BOTH of the Government and the public.
>>
>> 4. I will have to swear an affidavit to reduce my age to take that
>> Government job. Yes, I would do it well....but I don't intend to swear to
>> no affidavit! :-) Or do you wish to tempt me? :-)
>>
>> And there you have it.
>>
>>
>>
>> Bolaji Aluko
>> Shaking his head
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 10:11 AM, 'Joe Attueyi' via AfricanWorldForum
>> <africanworldforum@googlegroups.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> The Administration also needs young, steady, suave and regular
>>> spokespersons communicating government policies, not sound-biters and
>>> political propagandists that may have been more appropriate for election
>>> purposes.
>>>
>>>
>>> Hmm! Prof Aluko, how young is young?
>>>
>>> IMHO you will make a good spokesman for the administration but Don't let
>>> Lying Mohammed catch you o! When it comes to public offices Nigerian
>>> politicians don't take hostages. Not when it threatens their 5 car convoy
>>> and shoe shiners
>>>
>>> Joe
>>> Having an Alukosque belly laugh
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>
>>> On Sep 5, 2016, at 9:30 AM, Mobolaji Aluko < alukome@gmail.com > wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> Imperial:
>>>
>>> May your tribe increase for what you wrote below!
>>>
>>> Corruption has EATEN SO DEEP into the Nigerian economic system that the
>>> 2-5% who have taken - both legally and illegally - the 95% of the Nation's
>>> commonwealth have devised a way of SPREADING that INEQUITY among the raped
>>> in Nigeria, so much so the cry of "Bring Back Corruption" is like the cry of
>>> the Jews to "Return us to Egypt o, Moses....if it is only manna your God
>>> will be supplying us in the desert!"
>>>
>>> They never did return to Egypt - and may Nigeria NEVER return to Egypt.
>>> (Amen).
>>>
>>> I feel the pain myself, when, upon my arrival in Nigeria in 2011, the
>>> Naira exchanged for N155-165 to $1, only for it now in 2016 to be hovering
>>> in the N350-400 axis, with possibility of it going higher. With many
>>> personal responsibilities still in dollars, I feel the pain. I feel the
>>> pain when during that period, people were always begging for money or for
>>> employment - ceaselessly.
>>>
>>> But my personal forex issue is an elite concern - because most Nigerians
>>> don't even see NAIRA for eye not to talk of DOLLARS. It is NOT an elite
>>> concern for industries that depend on raw materials and/or equipment from
>>> abroad, or for investors who earn money in Naifra and want to repatriate it
>>> in dollars/ However the new situation calls for a new paradigm shift in our
>>> Nation's economy, and there is no better time than now.
>>>
>>> Do I blame Buhari for all of these happenings? Absolutely not, because
>>> it is an ACCUMULATION of past national leadership unwillingness, inability
>>> or incapability to face the fact that as a nation, we could not FOR EVER be
>>> a monocultural oil-and-gas economy, and at the same time have a
>>> mono-energy-oil-and-gas-source technology dependence, and not have strategic
>>> disaster in our hands sooner or later. How can we all of these years have
>>> oil and gas contributing 90% of foreign earnings, 80% of total national
>>> earnings, 83% of electricity production source - and yet have only 4000 MW
>>> of public electricity production kwashiokor all of these years, despite
>>> years of pouring in money to increase electricity production, which is the
>>> sine-qua-non of technological productivity.
>>>
>>> That "sooner or later" is NOW - and we must face up to it once and for
>>> all - and fortunately or unfortunately, it falls on Buhari and his
>>> government's laps. Whether it will succeed, the jury is out.
>>>
>>> In a few back-and-forth SMS with a friend just yesterday, I wrote that
>>> hateful cynicism has never built a nation. Those who want corruption to
>>> return because the rapacious ancien regime lost out will continue to wail,
>>> even mock and sabotage every opportunity to make corrections. Things would
>>> have been "worser" if that ancien regime had returned to power at the
>>> center, because the rape of the nation would have continued, and it would
>>> have been hiding the true situation while continuing the "direct stealing" -
>>> and then spreading the gravy around. Yes, maybe the Avengers would not have
>>> been avenging - there would have been no political incentive - and so our
>>> drop in oil production would not have compounded our current financial
>>> situation - but no nation worth its salt should give in to politics-induced
>>> militant criminality.
>>>
>>> It is clear that in many previous administrations - not just the last one
>>> - Nigerian governance was essentially a pyramidal criminal enterprise
>>> comprising legislators, bankers, judges, lawyers, government bureaucrats and
>>> many Executive administrators (at the federal, state and local government
>>> levels) - and even some in the Press - with crumbs being given to
>>> "grateful" family members, political associates, business acolytes and other
>>> hangers-on. Those people did not just go away on May 29, 2015. Being
>>> unable to eat at the trough in a brazen a manner as before, many of them and
>>> their acolytes are using the present hard conditions to hit at those trying
>>> to make fundamental corrections to those mistakes - like TSA, BVN, ZBB, a
>>> re-balanced budget (old habits reared its ugly head with "padding"
>>> disclosures), a functional and well-funded security apparatus. economy
>>> diversification (which does not happen overnight), etc. etc.
>>>
>>> Even the corrections are not deep enough, essentially because with the
>>> little money being earned from our monoculture of oil - low production, low
>>> purchase, low price - even LEGAL official expenditures are difficult to
>>> carry out by government.
>>>
>>> What one simply hopes and prays for is that the Buhari administration
>>> will not be panicked by all the loud noises of distress and cacophony of
>>> advice around it. It should sift the wheat of good advice from the chaff of
>>> sullen disappointments. It must do NOTHING to indicate to the people that
>>> the Administration is continuing the criminal enterprise that they have come
>>> to correct - like re-looting loot. The Administration also needs young,
>>> steady, suave and regular spokespersons communicating government policies,
>>> not sound-biters and political propagandists that may have been more
>>> appropriate for election purposes. At 73, the civilian Buhari (transformed
>>> from the military dictator Buhari) has indeed lost a step or two - and hates
>>> to be typecast as a "dictator" of any hue - but Nigeria needs some firmness
>>> of leadership, particular as leader of a political party, and head of a
>>> government. Aloofness is NOT an option. Finally, a number of his top
>>> officials and ministers are misfits, and are not serving him well, in my
>>> opinion; after one year plus, he should look to re-shuffle his cabinet.
>>>
>>> And there you have it.
>>>
>>>
>>> Bolaji Aluko
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mon, Sep 5, 2016 at 7:45 AM, Maigoro Jos < maigoroajos@gmail.com >
>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Obviously, this is the real picture of our state of the nation but
>>>> mind you, only those with moral thought can acquaintance with you. The
>>>> beneficiaries of corruption and unapologetic PDP crooks are making the
>>>> atmosphere so noisy that PMB's policies not friendly. Maigoro On 04/09/2016,
>>>> Imperial imperial_ltd@yahoo.com [YanArewa] <YanArewa@yahoogroups.com> wrote:
>>>> > > I have been following closely the activities of this government and
>>>> whenever > I have the opportunity, I try to find out the opinions of people
>>>> as regards > the performance of this government. I just realized that the
>>>> hardship faced > by many Nigerians is simply as a result of the fact that
>>>> almost everyone of > us benefited from the cycle of corruption. > The
>>>> bricklayer, plumber, laborers, tiler are all complaining because > building
>>>> construction has slowed down massively cause the thieves no longer > have
>>>> money to spend on real estate. > The car dealers are grumbling because their
>>>> cars are begging for buyers. > Thieves can no longer spend wastefully. > The
>>>> private school owners are shouting because parents can no longer pay >
>>>> outrageous sums and are withdrawing their wards. I was shocked when I learn
>>>> > that in a popular private University in Abuja, parents are writing >
>>>> undertaking at the account section for their children to be allowed to write
>>>> > exams... and it goes on and on. > The fact is, a lot of people are
>>>> returning to what someone referred to as > ''default mode''.We mostly have
>>>> been living above our REAL MEANS. We have > been staying in houses that
>>>> ordinarily our incomes can't afford. Our > children going to schools we
>>>> can't afford. Driving cars we ordinarily can't > maintain. > We have been
>>>> living a FAKE LIFE all along. Now the reality is before us and > we don't
>>>> want to accept it. This shows how morally bankrupt we are. > > You can't eat
>>>> your Cake and have it. TAKE NOTE........"GOD HELP AND BLESS > NIGERIA" > >
>>>> You got billions from bank without collateral using your political >
>>>> influence. You put half into your business and spent the other half on >
>>>> exotic cars, jewelries' etc. Your business employs 100 people normally. You
>>>> > get illegal waivers and concessions to import raw materials at rock bottom
>>>> > prices, you get over-inflated contract to supply government some goods
>>>> your > company produce....in short your company is kept afloat by
>>>> corruption. > Now the new Sherriff in town say no more ridiculous waivers,
>>>> no more > inflated contracts, no more bank loans without collateral, in fact
>>>> its time > you or your company pay off the billions of debt owed.....AMCON
>>>> takes over > your company, staff are laid off......And you go on air and say
>>>> the new > sheriff is killing business and causing unemployment.. > The truth
>>>> is....you and your company were never in business, you were only > feeding
>>>> off the system. Too many companies and banks are funded by > corruption.
>>>> Remove corruption from the system and they collapse.......and we > end up
>>>> blaming the person that removes corruption for the collapse of the >
>>>> corruptly run fake company. > Its like our system and corruption are so
>>>> interwoven and inseparable that > removing one will kill the other. Maybe we
>>>> should tolerate and learn to live > with corruption so that Nigeria can
>>>> survive? > > Sent from my iPhone > -- --- You received this message because
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>>>
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