USA Africa Dialogue Series - Fw: Memo To Finance Minister On Controversial Appointments (1)

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Adeoye Akinsanya <adeoyeakinsanya@yahoo.com>
To: Kale Oyedeji <koyedeji@morehouse.edu>
Cc: yashuaib@yahoo.com; Bunmi Ayoade <maximaxiforte@gmail.com>; adigunagbaje@yahoo.com; ade-serrano adebola <deboserrano@yahoo.com>; Dr Oluwajuyitan <ecjide@yahoo.com>; alliwo@yahoo.co.uk; alexgboyega@yahoo.com; francoremy@yahoo.com; layiabegunrin@yahoo.com; Gbenga Lawal <gbenga_lawal@yahoo.com>; Gboyega.Akinsanmi@thisdaylive.com; easyjay9ja@yahoo.com; henryalapiki@gmail.com; nkolikae@yahoo.com; Taiwo Adeoluwa <tadeoluwa@yahoo.com>; ebaagbaje@yahoo.com; Olufemi Akinsanya <olufemiakin@yahoo.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 6, 2013 8:28 PM
Subject: Re: Memo To Finance Minister On Controversial Appointments (1)

Let us have Part II of the Letter.I am not too sure of the accuracy of our external indebtedness.We should not have asked the Minister of Finance to negotiate on our behalf.Why is the Sovereign Wealth Fund domiciled outside Nigeria and being used to improve the economies of those who contributed to our underdevelopment ?The powerful Minister is writing the Script of the DMEs simpliciter.

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 6, 2013, at 12:48 PM, Kale Oyedeji <koyedeji@morehouse.edu> wrote:

Please to the end before tossing it aside.

 

'Kale Oyedeji

 

Wed, 06/03/2013 - 12:04am | YUSHAU A. SHUAIB 

• Opinion
• Comment & Opinion

Dear Madam Minister,

 It wasn't for nothing that you were appointed into the cabinet of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan with the long, unprecedented title of Coordinating Minister for the Economy and the Honourable Minister of Finance. The grandiose title is not a mere tautology as some people will assume. It is a position that clearly proved that all cabinet ministers are equal, but someone is more equal by designation and positioning than others.

Being the first holder of that title in Nigeria's history, your position is equivalent to Prime Minister, which gave you the mandate to oversee and superintend over every other ministry, department and agency of government, including their budgetary allocations and revenue expenditures. No doubt Madam Minister, you are invariably the next most powerful cabinet member after President Jonathan and Vice President Namadi Sambo.

In the last ten years, I have been one of your ardent admirers who is impressed by your academic accomplishments and enviable working experiences on the international scene including your contributions to Nigeria's economic development after your appointment as the first female  Finance Minister and later first female Foreign Affairs Minister by President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2003 and 2006. I also note that you left the administration unceremoniously over personal issues.

One of the major reasons some of us believe strongly in your ability was the way and manner you carried major players both from the North and the South along while you were Minister of Finance between 2003 to 2006. You were never accused of discrimination or bias against any of the diverse groups of the ethnically charged and religiously polarized nation.  The same will be said of your then principal, Olusegun Obasanjo who, despite some of his shortcomings will never be accused of tribalism. He is a detribalized leader and a nationalist to the core who believe strongly in the Nigeria project.

The choice of your nominees into top public appointments and even the composition of your associates cut across every segment of Nigeria including those in your economic team like Nasir el-Rufai, Nuhu Ribadu, Bode Agusto, Dr. Mansur Mukhtar and Chukwuma Soludo among others.

Your achievements too were glaring. We recall that in 2005 you led Nigeria to striking a deal with the Paris Club, a group of bilateral creditors, to pay a portion of Nigeria's external debt amounting US $12 billion in return for an $18 billion debt write-off. 

You ensured transparency in monthly federation account allocation by the introduction of monthly publication of the disbursements in selected media. You were instrumental to helping Nigeria obtain its first ever sovereign credit rating (of BB minus) from an international ratings agency. Even when you left the government in 2006, your non-governmental organisation, NOI Global Consulting, partnered with the Gallup Organization to introduce what may be described as the first credible opinion poll, the NOI poll, into the Nigerian polity.

With these at the background, it was not surprising that when you were reappointed by President Jonathan as Finance Minister and when you were shortlisted for the post of President of the World Bank in 2012, you received overwhelming support from all Nigerians. An online publication even claimed that some Northern Mallams were praying for your success in the mosques. Everyone at that period believed that you were a detribalized Nigerian with real-world experience of policy-making.

The reason for writing you this memo however is to alert you to some disturbing trends as regards some recent appointments into top public offices in Nigeria in view of their economic and political implications.  As the most powerful minister and an Igbo princess from the Niger Delta by virtue of being a daughter of Obi of Ogwashi-Uku community in Delta State, I believe you should continue to live above board.

Recently the Yoruba Unity Forum (YUF) made some disturbing allegations of ethnic cleansing of Yoruba in federal appointments by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. Wife of the sage, Chief HID Awolowo and the retired Bishop of Akure, Rt. Rev. Bolanle Gbonigi in Ikenne, Ogun State after the meeting of the forum accused the administration of systematically excluding the Yoruba nation from the federation in terms of appointments without justification. They called on the government to redress the "systematic discrimination" against the Yoruba nationality in federal appointive positions without delay, saying that the Yoruba have been getting "crumbs" from the administration.

No sooner than the Yoruba allegation was made that the Northern Senators Forum (NSF) also publicly lamented gaping marginalization against the North over appointments and promotions in the military. According to these distinguished Nigerians, there are lopsidedness in employment and postings in the Nigerian Army in favour of the Igbos, which is clearly in the breach of the principle of Federal Character.

You should be aware that many Nigerians are referring to a book, 'Chinua Achebe Teacher of Light' which you co-authored where you expressed bitterness about how your tribe was dealt with before, during and after the civil war and insinuating that now that you are in authority, you are determined to correct all that you perceived as injustice against your people. Some insist that what you are doing now is promoting regional and ethnic agenda to the detriment of other groupings in Nigeria by manipulating appointments.

To drive the point home, your name has been lately mentioned as collaborating with another Igbo top ranking appointee in government to ensure the reinstallation of Ms Arunma Oteh as Director General of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) despite the glaring allegations against her and consistent calls by the National Assembly for her removal. You stood your ground, damning all and today, she remains in the position.

While the debate on Oteh's saga was yet to subside, a coalition of youths, led by human rights activist and President of Civil Rights Congress, Shehu Sani, queried the rationale behind the appointment of a new Chairman for the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) when a northerner, Kabir Mashi was already in the position and improving the revenue base of the agency, especially VAT collection for the Federation Account.

The group claimed that the committee that you set up was a smokescreen just to give a semblance of due process and fairness whereas it was populated mainly by your Igbo kinsmen. They added that "We don't believe there is transparency in the process, and we caution the President against the excessive ceding of his own power to the finance minister."

They publicly criticized you of playing an ethnic game with many of the appointments made in the country since you returned to the saddle. Some of the other positions which were created and filled during this period include those of Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Sovereign Wealth Fund, Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) and even the recent appointment of a 40 year old lady as Director General of National Pension Commission (PENCOM).

People are wondering at the coincidence of only Igbos beating every other person at competitive interviews conducted by your nominated international consulting groups. The only semblance of federal character principle in some of those institutions is the appointment of ceremonious but temporary chairmen who are merely figure-heads, with mandates for mere advisory roles.

The use of catchy phrases such as "best brains" foreign trained, and foreign-based to deprived qualified, competent and experienced Nigerians to aspire to top positions is quite inimical to the progress of our nation. The erroneous impression that some competitive and sensitive positions can only be filled by unique intelligent tribes must be corrected.

Experiences have shown that in practical situations, some so-called foreign trained and bookish first class graduates could not do better than other Nigerians who have the competence and experience to prove their worth in difficulty terrain.

You should also note that blatant disregard to the sensitivities and sensibilities of others while arrogantly promoting only people from your tribe may expose them to hatred with potentially explosive consequences such as those experienced in the 1960s when most federal positions were occupied by the Igbos.

My dear Madam Minister, for those of us who still respect you, we strongly believe you should dissociate yourself from current allegations of 'biafranization' of top public offices in Nigeria. We are in democratic government where policy issues should not be done in dictatorial manner of 'we-are-now-in-power'.

I therefore urge you to ensure that appointment into important positions should be done in credible and transparent manners that can withstand public scrutiny.

 

Yushau A. Shuaib

yashuaib@yahoo.com

Finance Estate, Wuye

Abuja

__._,_.___

Reply via web post

Reply to sender

Reply to group

Start a New Topic

Messages in this topic (1)

Recent Activity:

·         New Members 2

Visit Your Group

UPCOMING EVENT| TORONTO 2013 NIGERIA-CANADA INVESTMENT & TRADE FORUM - May 2&3.

==============================

"No part of any discussion on NigerianID may be used, quoted, or referred to, without the express permission of the individual author, or the Chief moderator  All discussions on NigerianID are the express property of the author and NigerianID." Copyright 2006-2013.  NigerianID.  All Rights Reserved.

Nigerian Professionals and Business Network.  Our mission is to promote the spirit of patriotism, networking, and cooperation among Nigerians in Diaspora.... http://www.nidoa.org



Donate your used Glasses to the "Seeing Changes the View" Nigeria Project at http://www.proudNigerians.org and help someone today. ProudNigerians.Org is an informal movement of like-minded people who wants to see incremental changes in Nigeria and who are leading by taking simple actions and paying it forward. Mobilizing the people is our primary goal.

Switch to: Text-Only, Daily Digest • Unsubscribe • Terms of Use • Send us Feedback

.

__,_._,___