Okonjo, Nigeria’s Wahala by... Abba Mahmood

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Most people assume Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is an Economist. Very few people know that she read urban and regional planning which makes her a town planner primarily and not an Economist. She came from the World Bank with the discredited and outmoded theories of the Bretton Woods institutions that have consistently failed every nation where these theories were applied.

 Ngozi Okonjo – Iweala was not satisfied with being Finance Minister, she added a nebulous title called ‘Coordinating Minister of the Economy’ effectively taking over the duties of the president and especially the constitutional duties of the vice president, as well as putting her hands into the affairs of virtually every federal ministry.

No one would have cared if there was good performance. But the tenure of Okonjo – Iweala has seen the greatest plundering of Nigeria’s assets and resources. She dabbled into every aspect of the nation’s life, including going to Chibok to lay the foundation for classroom reconstruction when the community already had a school built by their state government and were only waiting for the federal government, which has the sole responsibility for security constitutionally, to help bring back their abducted girls, now more than a year in the hands of terrorists.


Today, the power sector has been privatised but the government also gave those private companies billions of public sector money in the name of intervention. Power outage is getting worse by the day, meanwhile conclusively proving that the electricity companies were sold to those lacking technical or financial skills to raise efficiency. There are no jobs for thousands coming out of schools annually. And, to make matters worse, while the oil price was very high, there was no saving by the government, instead the savings by the previous governments were depleted very fast, with virtually nothing to show for it.

The hottest place in hell should be reserved for Governors – Ben Murray-Bruce

Bayelsa state, senator-elect, Ben Murray Bruce has stated that the hottest place in hell should be reserved for Nigerian governors who have failed to pay the salaries of their workers.

Murray-Bruce who is chairman of Silverbird Group stated this in a series of tweets against the conduct of governors on his official Twitter page. “The hottest place in hell should be reserved for Governors who live large at public expense while workers with children have not been paid!,” he wrote.
It would be recalled that Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo, Rauf Aregbesola of Osun, Isa Yuguda of Bauchi are some of the governors who fall into this category.
“As far as I’m concerned, until all state workers are paid their salary, no governor, no commissioner, no special adviser should collect salary or allowance,” Murray-Bruce stated.

Murray-Bruce also stated that: “It’s unacceptable for a governor who inherited a surplus from his predecessor to leave debt for the incoming governor and still want pension for life.”
He noted that he would push for the removal of immunity clause when the 8th Assembly gets underway, adding that, he was not in politics for the money.

“I’m not going to the senate to make money. I have much more than I need. I’m going there to serve God by fighting for the good of Nigerians.”
He then said: “Political parties arent your agent of change. These guys breath in PDP and breath out APC. NASS must Remove Immunity Clause for real change.

Jonathan, ministers jittery as May 29 approaches

President Goodluck Jonathan

THE President, ministers and aides seem to be jitery as the May 29 handover approaches.

Dr Goodluck Jonathan told ministers yesterday to brace for “persecution”. He gave no details.

It was all at a thanksgiving and farewell service in his honour at the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Cathedral Church of Advent, Life Camp, Gwarimpa, Abuja.

He was relective – he recalled how good the system has been to him – and grateful – for his achievements, which he said ordinary people appreciated.

But Jonathan seemed to betray the nervousness that has gripped his cabinet since it became inevitable that a new administration will mount the saddle on May 29.

He said his ministers would be persecuted, adding: “For ministers and aides who served with me, I sympathise with them; they will be persecuted. And they must be ready for that persecution.”

Jonathan went on: “To my ministers, I wish you what I wish myself. They will have hard times; we will all have hard times. Our ways will be rough.

“But we are happy the ordinary people appreciate what we did and that is most important. It’s not what the elite or the privileged few talk or say about you but what the majority of the Nigerian public think about your actions and inactions that matter.

“We came to Abuja peacefully and we are returning peacefully. I thank the church and Nigerians because they stood by us at our most difficult times.

“Even for election, we had people who supported us all over the country and for the success of the incoming administration.”

Recalling how good the system has been to him as an individual, President Jonathan said he was ready to pay the supreme price for Nigeria.

Dr Jonathan said having received scholarship to study and having been a major player on the nation’s political landscape in the last 16 years, including his six years as President, paying the supreme price would not be out of place.